The First Sassenach
by CafeCoffee700
Summary: A year before Claire came through the stones, Eva Burrach did...from the year 2015. She wakes up injured and frightened, surrounded by rough scots. She knows time travel isn't possible, but what other explanation is there? Eva knows she must survive any way she can in order to make it back to her own time. Jamie/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note: Thank you for viewing my story. I hope you enjoy my take on 'Outlander'! I am in need of a beta if anyone would like to preview my writing and offer suggestions. Thank you and let me know what you think!**

Chapter One: Falling Through Time

The weather in Inverness was much as it had been the last several days. Cool, with a frequent mist that hung over the hills, clutching to the blades of grass and trees. It cause the village to seem as if it was shrouded in mystery and hauntings, a possibility in which the natives thrived.

A superstitious lot, the natives of Inverness, and Scotland as a whole still frequently practiced many of the old traditions which were rooted in paganism. Tea readings, palm readings, and druid rituals were common enough, although not frequently flaunted as official practice as almost all of the residents were practicing Roman Catholics. However, on pagan festival days it was not uncommon to see the residents celebrating _Beltane_ , _Samhain_ , _Imbolc_ , and _Lughnasadh_ , the four Gaelic seasonal festivals. So common and deeply rooted was this practice, that even the local priests often participated in some of the more mild rituals, such as bonfires. As it was, the village was quickly preparing for the festival of _Beltane_ , the May Day celebration which would bring good crops, protect cattle, and encourage growth throughout the farming season. Although most of Inverness had been modernised and very few farms remained, the tradition was so well loved within the culture, that it was still celebrated annually.

Eva Barrach was assisting in the preparations for the _Beltane_ festival at the local pub where she worked part time in order to support herself. Originally from just outside of London, she had moved to Inverness to live with her father's brother, her Uncle Edmond after her parents had passed away when Eva was twelve. Uncle Edmond had been a great parental figure to Eva as she went through the tumultuous affair of having lost her parents and aging into a young woman nearly at the same time. Although he did not always know how to best deal with her mood swings, teenage angst and rebellion, he had done the best he could. Once Eva had graduated from Inverness Royal Academy, she had decided to stay within the city and attend Inverness College where she was taking courses in access to nursing, with the hope of working as a pediatric nurse. However, with the rising cost of tuition, her Uncle's salary with the Scottish National Heritage did not cover the majority of her tuition. Scholarships and grants had gotten her through the majority of the payments, but still, Eva was required to work two part-time jobs to make up the difference. One, she worked with the Scottish National Heritage as a phone clerk, and the other as a barkeep in a local pub.

In order to prepare for _Beltane_ , Eva was hanging the traditional flowers that were frequently associated with the holiday above the doors and along the window sills, while Tomas, the young man she frequently worked with piled kegs behind the bar to prepare for what was sure to be an onslaught of drinkers. The two had thirty minutes before the bar would officially open its doors, and it was promising to be a busy night, as it was Saturday and the football team many residents supported would be playing the German National Team.

"Agh, come help me with the last keg, lass." Tomas yelled out as he tried rolling it into place. Eva sighed, running a hand through her chestnut locks and dropped the primrose she was attempting to weave into place. The two of them quickly scooted, pushed, and wedged the keg, until it went into place below the cabinet where it would wait to be tapped.

The minutes passed quickly as Tomas unlocked the doors and soon a steady flow of patrons began flowing through the doors. The television was turned on, sound muted, and soft mellow music played from the speakers. Eva and Tomas were quickly overwhelmed with the number of patrons as more and more turned out for the game.

"Can I get you another, Craig?" Eva asked picking up the empty beer bottle in front of a middle aged customer. He grunted an 'aye' at her and she quickly pulled one out of the fridge, popped the cap and placed it in front of him. "Two pound". She replied and he quickly handed over the coin. Eva then moved down the bar to a young, newly married couple who were enjoying the game.

"Ah, Fletcher is playing like shite tonight, lass," Duncan, the husband lamented. "But nothing like your _girls_ , eh, Eva?" He grinned. It was well known among the patrons of the bar that Eva was a die-hard Manchester United fan, having picked up the fandom from her late father.

"We're just having a bit of a rough patch," Eva sniffed, grinning back. "Just you wait and see; we'll kick your arses if it comes to that." Duncan laughed and his wife lightly hit him on the shoulder. "Be quiet!" Allison was watching the screen with rapt attention as a corner kick was set up. The ball sailed through the air, arcing gracefully over the players heads before a defensive man kicked it up field to a waiting midfielder. "Shite! Son of a bitch, we're getting slaughtered!" She cried, watching her team fail to score yet another goal. Chuckling, Eva continued down the bar, serving patrons, wiping counters, and clearing empty bottles and cups from the messy bar.

Once the game had ended around 11:00, many of the customers left the bar, stumbling home to their wives and beds and leaving a mess for Tomas and Eva to clean. Tomas quickly swept the floor while Eva took out the garbage and wiped down the counters one more time before leaving. The two parted ways at the front of the door, Tomas going left to his home and Eva right to the small home she shared with her Uncle two blocks away.

The night had gotten colder. Despite it being almost May, Eva still wore a thick cardigan and scarf to keep herself warm on her journey home. She stuffed her hands into her pockets in an effort to keep them warm and began the quickly sojourn to her home. The sky had opened up at some point during her shift and a steady trail of rain fell, being interrupted occasionally by thunder and lightning. Eva quickened her pace and turned the corner when she stopped abruptly. Someone was standing in the middle of the road, looking confused and lost. Clearly a young man, he wore a flat hat, jacket, kilt, and boots. He was dressed quite oddly for the time as many did not wear their kilts outside of celebrations. Not wanting to cause trouble she looked to her feet, and began walking once again. She had almost turned the corner when a deep Scottish voice called out to her. "Sassenach!" It cried. Eva whipped around to see where it had come from, but could no longer see the young man. Shaking her head, Eva continued her journey home, questioning if she had truly even heard the voice or if she was just overtired, or perhaps even worse, losing her mind.

The next day, Eva woke to the ringing of her alarm and groaned. She had much to do today and did not want to complete any of it. She needed to complete a lab report, read several chapters of one of her textbooks, go for a run, and finally work another closing shift at the pub. Crawling out of bed, she grabbed a cardigan and walked slowly down the stairs where her Uncle was sitting at the kitchen table, mug of coffee in one hand and the Sunday paper in the other.

"Morning," He said without looking up. "Coffee is in the pot." Eva nodded and quickly poured herself a cup, adding a dash of cream to it and sipping the steaming beverage slowly. "Any plans for the day?" He asked, setting down his mug.

"Mhmm," Eva nodded, rubbing her eyes and taking a seat opposite him. Edmond passed her the front section of the newspaper which he had already read and Eva grabbed it with the thanks. "Need to get some school work done and then I was thinking of going for a run. Working at the pub again, tonight too." Edmond nodded.

"Just be careful out there. You know I worry." Eva smiled.

"I always am, Uncle Ed." With that the two lapsed into a comfortable silence as they continued reading their paper and sipping their coffee.

Several hours later, Eva was tightening the shoe laces on her trainers and had slipped her camelbak hydration pack onto her back. Her phone and house key were hidden within the folds of the water bottle, and the whistle her Uncle insisted she bring with her dangling from it as well.

"I'll be back later, Uncle Ed. I'm going for a run." She yelled out as she stepped out the front door and began lightly jogging.

Eva quickly lost track of time as she continued to run through the city of Inverness, leaving the hubbub behind her as she traveled towards the less populated areas directly outside of the city. Out of breath and panting, Eva slowed to a brisk walk as she wiped sweat from her eyes and began the walk up the steep hill to the standing stones at Craigh na Dun. When she finally reached them, she dropped down resting and still breathing heavily. She took a look at her watch and sighed. 11:15. She had time for a short rest before she needed to head back in order to shower and prepare for her shift at the pub. Eva leaned back against the tallest stone, the coolness of the rock seeping into her skin and helping her relax. She placed her head on it, breathing deeply as she closed her eyes. Her Uncle Edmond was right, she was working too much. But a quick rest was all she needed and she would be right as rain she decided as she fell into a slumber, lulled by a strange buzzing noise.

Eva opened her eyes in what felt like only moments later, but when she looked at her watch she saw that it was in fact over two hours later. The clock face read 1:32. "Shit," Eva muttered, knowing she was going to be late. Perhaps her Uncle could meet her halfway back to town in his car in order to save time. She dug through her camelbak for her phone and pulled it out as she began the walk back down the hill. "Stupid fucking highland service!" She yelled as she saw that she had no service. 'No matter', she thought. 'I'll just keep walking and call when I get service.' With that thought in mind Eva quickened her pace down the hill. However, when she reached where the road should have been, she saw nothing but continuing grass. "What the hell?" She whispered to herself and checked her phone once again. She knew there was service in this area, but her phone said otherwise. Steeling herself not to panic Eva took several deep breaths and picked up her pace, lightly jogging back to what she hoped was Inverness. Perhaps she went down the hill a different way than she had gone up. That would explain why the road was not where she thought it was. Regardless, the knew Inverness was approximately North from the standing stones, and with a quick look at the sun set off in the proper direction.

Eva's breath quickly began coming in shorter pants, partly due to the exercise and partly due to rising panic. It had been several minutes since she had left the bottom of the hill and still, she saw no signs she was headed in the right direction. She checked the sun once again and assured herself she was indeed traveling towards Inverness but she could not see any signs of modern civilization. There was no paved road, no speed signs or telephone poles. Determined, Eva continued, thinking it must be some mistake and she had overestimated how far she had traveled. When she got closer to town she would see the tell-tale signs of civilization, she was sure of it. The exertion of running soon caught up with Eva and she slowed to a brisk walk, trying unsuccessfully to calm her breathing. The sun was sinking fast and with it, Eva's hope that everything was okay and would be alright. She watch now read 4:17, and still Eva had not seen any signs of modern civilization. She was helplessly lost and her phone still did not read a signal. Blinking back tears Eva stopped and sat against a tree trying to figure out what to do. She thought back to her day at the stones and the strange buzzing she had heard before falling asleep. There were myths about those stones, Eva recalled. Her Uncle had told them to her one night when she could not fall asleep as a child.

" _Some say the old giants of Scotland carried the stones with them from their homelands to the hill." Uncle Edmond told a young Eva as she lay in bed, eyes wide._

" _Giants? But giants aren't real, Uncle!" She protested and her uncle chuckled._

" _Not anymore, perhaps, but many say that the bones of those same giants now lay below the stones themselves. They lay there, guarding the stones for all eternity, protecting them." Eva's eyes wrinkled deep in thought._

" _What are they protecting the stones for? They're just a bunch of old rocks. What is so important about them?"_

" _Magic, my dear. Magic."_

Eva was ripped out of the memory as she remembered what her uncle had told her. Many believed that the stones held magical powers that would allow certain individuals to travel back in time. Uncle Edmond had told her many of the stories and legends growing up, in which an individual, usually a young woman, found herself alone at the stones. She would place her hands on the largest and tallest of the stones which would then suck her through the folds of time, placing her two-hundred years in the past. Eva had never believed the tales of course; why would she. Magic and time travel did not exist outside of science fiction novels and television. Eva was soon beginning to run out of logical options though. What is she _had_ traveled through the stones somehow. That buzzing sound was not of this world and after hearing it, she woke up in the same place but a seemingly different time. Eva shook her head. "Get it together, Barrach," she whispered to herself. "You're talking nonsense. Time travel is not real!"

She stepped off, brushing the dirt and leaves from her legs and began walking once again. It would soon be dark, and regardless of where she was, Eva would have to prepare herself to spend the night outdoors. She had not been camping since she was eight years old, and then, she had plenty of food, water, warm clothes, and a tent with a warm sleeping bag. Eva had almost none of that now. She jogging pants were light weight and those combined with her running shirt would do little to protect her from the elements. She had a quarter of her water left over and a cliff bar in her camelbak to eat. She soon stopped, seeing a copse of trees nearby that would have to serve as her shelter for the night. She walked over and looked up the the thick branches. Leaves covered the limbs and would provide some cover from prying eyes and any rain, should it come. Tomorrow, Eva would set out once again and find out just where the hell she was. Until then, she would sleep in a tree and hope she was not eaten by a bear.

Eva shivered as the rain continued to drop through the leaves and onto her head. She had been woken up with a start by a loud clap of thunder in the middle of the night and had since been shivering as the rain pelted down, soaking her and her few belongings. If her phone still had any battery it would be too waterlogged to actually use at this point, and her socks began to chafe along her ankles painfully. Eva could not remember if it was safe to be under a tree during a thunderstorm or dangerous, but regardless, she did not think she could move because she was so cold.

A loud crack of thunder echoed throughout the copse of trees followed by an impressive streak of lighting that landed much to close. Shaken, Eva quickly decided that she _could_ move and sheltering within a tree was most certainly not a good idea. She quickly scrambled down from the tree and set to walking once again, hoping to find an overhang of rocks that she could shelter under until the storm passed. She took a small sip of her camelbak, having refilled it as best as she could from the rain water while within the tree and sighed softly to herself. Unable to blink back the barrage of tears, Eva's vision began to blur as her tears and the rain mixed themselves on her face and ran down in small streaks on her face. Eva was cold, hungry, and most of all terrified. All she wanted was her bed, a cup of hot coco, and her Uncle to tuck her in bed like he used to when she was younger.

So caught up in her thoughts was Eva, that she did not notice where she was walking. As she went to put her foot down she did not land on solid ground, but rather quickly plunged down a steep incline she had not been able to see in the darkness. Down she rolled, hitting rocks small and large alike. A sharp _snap!_ Echoed in her ears as she felt her right ankle fracture after being caught in a rabbit's hole and she cried out in pain as she continued her ungraceful descent. Eva was quickly approaching a protruding rock that she knew she would hit. Unable to stop her rapid freefall, Eva smacked her head against the dull edge making her vision swim before her eyes. What seemed like minutes, but was in reality only seconds later, Eva stopped rolling and falling as she reached the bottom of the hill. Disoriented and in pain she looked at her surroundings, seeing that she was now near a winding river. 'It must have carved out the hill long ago.' She thought to herself. Her head was pounding and she could hear her heartbeat pounding within her temples. Unable to fight the battle, Eva's eyes closed and her body slumped into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note: Hello all! I am hoping to update this story fairly regularly, although most likely not every day. I am not working very much right now so it's likely that I will have a chapter posted every few days. I hope you are all enjoying the story so far; please leave me a review if you are enjoying it!**

 **Also, I am looking for someone to beta this story. Please message me if you are interested.**

 **Gaelic translations are at the bottom. Enjoy!**

Chapter Two: Three Swigs of Whiskey

Eva awoke with a pounding head with deep baritone voices swirling above her in a language she recognized but did not understand.

"A bheil i marbh?" One asked.

"Chan e, dìreach gun fhios. Tha i air ankle briste ged-thà." Another replied.

"Dè a tha oirre? Tha i coltach ri gille!" A third voice cut in, sounding shocked.

"No brògan." The first voice responded. Eva slowly opened her eyes, squinting against the bright sunlight and raised a hand to her shield her eyes gingerly. Above her were around a half dozen men, looking dirty and rugged with scraggly hair and beards, as wearing patterned kilts with swords strapped at their waist. Eva noticed two of them were carrying pistols.

"Tha i dùisgte! Dougal!" One of the shorter men cried out. Suddenly another man came over, squatting over her and frowning. He was tall with an impressive beard but no hair atop his head and was dressed similarly to his companions.  
"Cò th 'annad?" He asked gruffly. Eva shook her head. Despite living in Scotland for 10 years she had barely picked up any Scottish Gaelic. "Cò th 'annad?" He repeated himself.

"I-I'm sorry. I d-don't understand." Eva stuttered out, still shaking from cold and fright.

"Ah, a sassenach." He sneered, his scottish brogue evident. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" Eva looked around, frightened. The men all looked at her with raised eyebrows clearly wondering the same thing.

"M-my name is E-e-eva. I g-g-ot lost yesterday and I d-don't know where I am."

"-Ere, give the lass some whiskey. Should help her calm her nerves a bit." A man held out a leather pouch and she took it gratefully. She took a large swig, grimacing slightly as the whiskey burned down her throat and settled warmly in her stomach.

"Are you from England, lass?" the man who had offered her his whiskey asked and she nodded her head slightly. "I was born in Kent, but my parents died when I was twelve. I moved to Scotland to live with my Uncle after that." She explained, her head still throbbing. "I'm sorry, but who exactly are you?"

The tall, bald man spoke. "My name is Dougal MacKenzie. Now lass, why are you here?" He repeated himself, frowning even deeper.

"I told you, I got lost. I don't even know where 'here' is! I went for a run yesterday and ended up at the standing stones near Craigh nu Dun." Eva cried. "Please help me. I need to get back to Inverness and to my Uncle. He will be worried sick!" The man named Dougal shook his head lightly and walked over to where the rest of the men were standing. They quickly immersed themselves in a discussion, Gaelic flowing amongst them like the water in the river. It was too quick for Eva to catch anything of importance and she lightly threaded her fingers through her hair, massaging her aching scalp.

After several moments Dougal MacKenzie strode back over to her. "Alright,." He sighed and squatted back down next to her. "You will be coming with us, lass. We'll decide what to do wit' you when we get where we're going." She shook her head in protest.

"I will not! I don't know who the hell you are! You could be fucking rapists for all I know!" She yelled scrambling backwards. Dougal's eyes widened.

"Christ, such language from a lady. Perhaps she is a whore, Angus." Dougal gave her a sharp look.

"I am no such thing!" She yelled trying to stand and flee but her broken ankle collapsed under her and she fell into Dougal's arms rather ungracefully.

"Now you listen here, lass," He growled in her ear. "We are going to bind your foot and then you will come with us without a fuss. If ye try anything I shall slit your throat where you stand. You ken?" Eyes wide with fear she nodded, swallowing a lump in her throat. "Now sit down so we can tend to that ankle." Following his direction she sat on the ground rather clumsily. Another man came over with a length of cloth in his hands and went to take off her trainer.

"Stop!" She cried, the pain becoming too much. The man froze and looked at her. Carefully, Eva untied the laces of her trainer, loosening it as much as she could before slipping it off with a gasp of pain. The ankle had swelled exponentially and was an array of purples and blues across her pale skin. "You'll need to splint first." She told him and he looked at her with question in his eyes. "I need two sturdy sticks, one for either side of the ankle. And another for the bottom of the foot." She added. He nodded and looked over his shoulder.

"Jamie! Chuala thu i. Faigh na buidean!" A young man Eva had not noticed before nodded and turned, quickly walking back up the hill into the trees. He returned moments later with three sticks.

"Will these do, lass?" He asked, looking at her. She nodded and instructed the men how to help her splint her ankle so as not to do any further damage to it. "Are ye a Beaton?" The man who had brought her the sticks asked. Eva shook her head.

"No, I am studying to be a nurse." She explained and his brow furrowed in confusion.

"I wasna aware there was training involved." He said softly looking down to her breasts.

"Not a wet nurse you fool! A healer!" She explained, crossing her arms over her chest to hide them from his gaze.

"Ah, that makes sense then." He rose, brushing his curly red hair from his face and strode over to a horse where he mounted it. Dougal quickly strode over to her and picked her up, carrying her over the the young man.

"Remember, you try anything and I slit your throat, got it?" He growled. Eva nodded in fear and looked up at the young man. He did not seem overly frightening, but Eva knew she would not be able to get away from him should she attempt an escape. Dougal all but threw her over the saddle horn and the young man gathered her up in his arms, shifting her so she sat more comfortably against him.

"What's your name, lass?" He asked her softly as Dougal mounted his horse in front of them and they set off on a walk.

"Eva. Eva Barrach." She said softly. "What is yours?"

"Jamie." He did not provide her with a last name and she did not ask. The two fell into silence only the sound of the horses plodding along the dirt road echoed through Eva's ears. Evas mind was swirling. She _knew_ it was impossible. Time travel did not occur. But deep down in the recesses of her mind she had started to come to grips with what seemed an inevitable truth. She was no longer in 2015.

Eva awoke with a start. It seemed that she had fallen asleep on the young man's shoulder at some point during their journey. "Glad to see you rejoin the living, sassenach." He grinned as she lifted her head and rubbed her eyes looking around.

"Sorry. I didn't sleep too well last night." She blushed lightly and cleared her throat. "Where are we going anyway?"

"Castle Leoch. Head of the Clan MacKenzie," He said. Eva turned with wide eyes to look at him as best as she could.

"Castle _Leoch?_ " She cried. The name had struck something deep in her memory as she recalled something her Uncle had once told her.

" _The Scottish Clans united, you see," He explained to a sixteen year old Eva who rolled her eyes in exasperation at her Uncle's enthusiasm. "They wanted to restore a Stuart King to the throne of England and the Laird at Castle Leoch was one of the biggest supporters. When they united they became a much stronger force than they would have ever been separated. Unfortunately it was not enough. They were slaughtered by the British a few years later and clan life was never to be restored. The face of Scotland changed forever after that."_

"You know of it?" Jamie asked, frowning lightly. Eva swallowed and shook her head.

"It sounds familiar, but no, I've never been there. I don't know it personally." That much was true. While Uncle Edmond had frequently been dispatched to local historical sites as part of his job, she very rarely accompanied him. Jamie nodded, seemingly satisfied. "So, what were you guys doing out here? It seems that we are very far from any form of civilization."

"Ah, that. Well, Sassenach, we were collecting the rents," He explained. "The Laird of clan MacKenzie allows for people to live on his lands and he provides them with protection. In return, they give a portion of their income, be it chickens or grain or coin, back to the Laird." Jamie explained softly. Eva nodded thoughtfully looking around. As she gazed among her surroundings she noticed the sun was quickly descending.

"How long until we're at Castle Leoch?" She asked. "It will be dark soon." Jamie nodded.

"Aye, it will. We will be there tomorrow mid afternoon or so. If all goes well." He added the last bit thoughtfully.

"If it all goes well? What does that mean?" She asked turning to look him in the eye once again.

"Well, lass, sometimes there are patrols in the area. Redcoats, ya ken. Best avoid the English." He grinned lightly and Eva turned around, facing the front again.

The horses continued walking for another mile or so before Dougal stopped his and swung his legs over the horses pommel. "We rest here. Murtagh, take the horses for water." A tall man nodded, grabbing onto the reigns of three of the horses and leading them away from the rest of the men who were piling together small twigs and leaves in order to create kindling for a fire. The men were successful in lighting the fire and soon pouches of whiskey were being passed around and the men were laughing at each others jokes, all spoken in gaelic. Eva frowned, wrapping her arms around herself in an effort to keep out the chill that had settled into her bones the previous night.

"Sassenach!" A loud voice yelled out, ripping her from her thoughts. A piece of bread fell into her lap and her scottish companions laughed. Not saying anything, Eva simply turned the bread over in her hands, thinking deeply.

"You best eat up, Sassenach." Jamie's voice floated over to her interrupting her thoughts. "We'll no' be eating again for quite some time."

"Thank you but I'm not hungry." She replied, her voice thick with tears. The ride on the horse had continually jostled her foot and she was in pain, she was tired, and her head was still throbbing from the wack it was given by that rock.

"Aye that may be, Sassenach, but still; best eat up."

Every time Jamie or one of the other Scots called her 'sassenach' Eva inwardly flinched. During her childhood when she first came to Scotland, Eva had been mercilessly teased by many of her classmates. They had made fun of her English accent, her different style of dress, and delighted in calling her 'sassenach'. The term never failed to bring up bad memories.

"My name," She spoke stiffly, "Is Eva; _not_ sassenach!" Her voice rose and the men stopped their laughter and speaking.

"Aye, so it is, _Eva_." Jamie nodded, looking at her strangely. With that he walked away, joining the other men by the fire. Eva sighed, finding herself alone once again and decided to take Jamie's advice. She ripped small piece from the bread and slowly chewed it. It tasted like ash in her mouth but would give her some sustenance until she could find her way back to her own time.

"Alright lads, on we get. We've another fifteen miles to Castle Leoch." Dougal stated stiffly and the men all rose to their feet, groaning. Murtagh trampled out the fire and the rest of the men slowly began packing up their meager belonging and reattaching them to their horses.

"Come on, lass. Up you get." Without warning Eva was lifted from her feet and thrown back onto Jamie's horse. She squeaked in surprise and almost fell off, had Jamie not wrapped his arms around her hips bringing her closer to him. As they continued walking a warm and heavy weight fell over Eva's shoulders. Jamie had loosened his plaid from around his own body and wrapped it tightly around them both. "Yer shivering," He said by way of explanation.

Eva nodded her head in thanks, "Will we ride through the night?" She asked. Jamie nodded.

"Aye, most like," He nodded. "You can sleep, lass. I'll keep you safe." She shook her head.

"No, thank you. I will be fine." He nodded with a wry smile on his face. "Suit yerself, _sassenach."_ With that remark she quickly jabbed her elbow into his ribs making his let out a small ' _oof_ ' of surprise and he grinned down at her.

Eva had fallen asleep sometime after hitting Jamie with her elbow and her head was flopping lightly on Jamie's shoulder. He grinned down at her, taking in her features. She was a bonny lass, to be sure. Chestnut colored hair hung to her shoulders and was knotted from her tumble down the hill they had found her in. Her face was youthful if not a good bit dirty, and her eyes which normally hosted green irises were closed with sleep, framed by long and dark lashes. "Bonny indeed" He sighed to himself as he too settled in for sleep.

When Eva woke from her long rest she thought she may have simply been dreaming. However, she was rocking slightly, something that would not have been possible in her own bed. She opened her eyes and groaned in frustration. It seemed it was not a dream after all. "Good morning," Jamie said cheerfully behind her and she groaned. "Not a morning lass, are ye?" Eva shook her head and groaned again.

"I hate mornings," She sighed and moved further away from him, or as far as the saddle permitted.

"Aye, well we will be stopping soon enough. Some fresh water should help wake ye." Jamie's mention of water seemed to spark something in her memory.

"Where is my camelbak? The bag I had with me before? When you found me?" Jamie frowned.

"What is a cambelback?" He asked.

" _Camelbak_ ," She corrected him lightly. It's like a water bottle you can wear on your back. It's good for hiking or going on runs." Jamie nodded in understanding.

"Murtagh has it. He'll hold on to it for ye until Dougal and Colum decide what to do with you." Eva went silent at that not liking the sound of it at all.

"Wait," Her eyes widened as she set sight on a familiar rock. "I know that rock. Cocknammon Rock; the British used it for ambushes." Jamie looked at her with a frown. "It's true! They could be there right now!"

He nodded, "It's a bonny enough place for an ambush." He kicked his horse into a trot and caught up to Dougal. The two men quickly conversed in Gaelic before Dougal turned to Eva.

"Now, you'll be telling me exactly how and why you come to know there's an ambush ahead." Dougal said sharply.

"My Uncle, he told me." It wasn't exactly a lie, but not the whole truth either. Dougal and Jamie shared a look before their eyes raked over the landscape, seeing something that Eva was blind to see. Dougal suddenly whistled loudly, shouting something in Gaelic.

"Hide yerself!" Jamie yelled at her as he pushed her off the horse and ran off with the rest of the men. Eva huddled underneath a nearby bush, hoping it would properly conceal her as loud gunshots rang out nearby. Eva could not see anything happening above her but could hear men's voices getting closer. Not resolving herself to be kidnapped twice in the span of two days, she gritted her teeth and pushed herself to her feet. She almost collapsed from the pain of putting weight on her broken ankle but quickly crossed the stream and hid behind a boulder, shoulders shaking in fright. Soon after she had found her new hiding spot, the gunshots had stopped and the sound of hoofbeats replaced them. Eva shrank back trying to conceal herself as best as she could but knew if the man on the horse came any closer he would spot her immediately.

"Lost are we?" The familiar voice rang out and Eva stuck her head out from behind the boulder. "Come, Dougal and the others will be waiting for us." Eva nodded and limped slowly to him and the horse. "You okay, lass?"

"It's my ankle. I shouldn't have run on it," She explained as she gasped in pain. Jamie frowned before swinging off the horse and taking several large strides over to her. Without a word he swept her up in his arms and placed her on the horse. Eva sighed as the pressure was relieved off of her ankle and Jamie settled in behind her, once again wrapping his plaid around them both.

"We'll get that ankle looked at when we get where we're going," he promised as he kicked his horse into a trot and found the rest of his group. They were cheerful, if not slightly bloodied from the quick skirmish and passing around another pouch full of whiskey.

"Here's to you lass, for giving us a wee bit o'fun!" The shortest of the group cried out, took a long gulp and then passed it to Jamie. He too quick a sip and then passed it to Eva, who shook her head.

"Take a wee nip; it'll help dull the pain." Eva knew she was likely concussed from her fall down the hill and alcohol would not help her, but knew Jamie was right. The alcohol would help her forget the pain in her ankle. She took a long gulp, draining the remainder of the pouch in three large swigs. Jamie just looked down at her and grinned.

Gaelic Translations:

A bheil i marbh? - "Is she dead?"

Chan e, dìreach gun fhios. Tha i air ankle briste ged-thà. - "No, just unconscious. She has broken an ankle though."

Dè a tha oirre? Tha i coltach ri gille! - What is she wearing? She looks like a lad!

No brògan. - Or a whore

Tha i dùisgte! Dougal! - "She's waking up! Dougal!"

Cò th 'annad? - "Who are you?"

Chuala thu i. Faigh na buidean -? "You heard her. Get the sticks!"


	3. Chapter 3

**Authors Note: Thank you to Mia for reviewing; I'm glad you are enjoying it so far! I hope you all continue to enjoy the story. Please let me know what you think or any suggestions for improvement in a review.**

Chapter Three: Black as hell, dark as night

Jamie was right. On the second full day of traveling the group reached where they were going: Castle Leoch. Eva shuddered slightly as she took in the impressive stone facade looming above them. Eva remembered the photographs that stood in Uncle Edmonds office of the same edifice, but that one had been worn down by time and wars. It did not look nearly as impressive as the real thing. Her breathing was raspy as we entered a courtyard that was bustling with activity. Men and women walked quickly while carrying baskets, loads of hay, and other assorted materials. The men were greeted cheerfully as they swung off their horses on onto the muddy ground below. Jamie swung himself off the horse before holding his hands back to Eva in order to help her down as well.

Eva steadied myself as best as she could and looked as a plump woman came bustling out of a door, smiling widely. "Rupert, m'dear! How good to see you!" The woman cried running over and giving him a big hug and a sloppy kiss on the cheek. "Ye'll all be needing breakfast, I reckon. There's plenty in the kitchen; away in and feed yerselves." The man chuckled and grinned, all but running to where she had motioned in order to get some proper sustenance. Eva's stomach growled at the thought of bread that was not several days old and stale, but when she went to take a step she collapsed. Jamie quickly caught her in his arms swinging her up into a bridle style. The plump woman quickly looked over at the pair, her eyes furrowing.

"And what do we have here?" She slowly walked forward and looked at Jamie who nodded and introduced the two. "Eva Barrach, Mistress Fitzgibbons. She runs the house. Murtagh found Miss Barrach in the foods. Dougal said we must bring her along, and well…"

"Well," Mrs. Fitzgibbons said, looking at her clothes with some distaste. "Eva, let's find you something to eat and something that is a bit..." She struggled to find the right words. "Well a bit more."

"Mrs. Fitz," Jamie spoke. "I must take her to see Davie Beaton. She has a broken ankle, ye ken." Mrs. Fitz nodded and spoke.

"Yes, that must be fixed first. Come along dearies, let's get this settled." Jamie walked behind the quick pace of Mistress Fitzgibbons and through narrow hallways and up a flight of stairs. Mistress Fitzgibbons opened a door and bustled down a short flight of stairs, Jamie following with Eva still in his arms.

"Davie, I brought a patient to ye," Jamie called out and a short, stocky man with half-moon spectacles emerged from a lower cabinet.

"Have ye now? And what seems to be the problem with the lass?" He asked as Jamie placed her on a wooden table. Eva was slightly disgusted to see that it did not seem that this Davie Beaton was the most sanitary of persons. Open cups of ale and plates of half-eaten food remained on nearby tables, and she feared that he did not disinfect this table after each patient.

"Broken ankle." Jamie explained motioning to the swollen appendage which was still covered by her black sock. Her trainer, it seemed, had been left behind. "She took a tumble down a hill. Hit her head too," He then motioned to the red bump on my forehead.

"Ah, I see. And who managed to brace the ankle so well with naught but twigs and twine?" Davie Beaton asked, his gray eyes narrowing behind his glasses.

"I did." Eva responded. "I am in school training to be a healer." She did not want the same mix-up with nurse and wet-nurse that had already occurred with Jamie to happen again.

"A woman? Training to be a healer?" Davie Beaton laughed. "Preposterous! Now, let's see if we can fix you up, eh lass?" Davie grinned at her and she frowned.

"Just a hot minute, who the hell do you think you are! I don't know you from Adam. Why should I trust you?" Eva was angry; how dare he insinuate that she was less intelligent or capable because of her sex!

"This, Mistress Barrach," Jamie spoke softly, "Is Master Davie Beaton, of Clan Beaton. His clan is renowned throughout the Highlands for their healing skills. Ye could not be in better hands, I promise ye, lass." After a moment Eva nodded her consent to the healer to begin touching her. He carefully unwound the primitive brace that she had constructed on the road and clucked his tongue at the sight of the swelling.

"Aye, it's broken all right." He nodded as he gently prodded the ankle and surrounding area. "I can give ye a better and more durable brace so that it may heal properly, but ye'll have to stay off it for a bit, ye ken?" Eva nodded. This she expected. It typically took six weeks in a cast for a broken ankle to heal, and Eva knew that it would take at least that long now. Some things did not change, despite time; bones still took seemingly forever to heal properly. "Ye'll have to stay off'a it, though." Davie Beaton added. "I can fashion you a cane to use later on, but no weight should be put on it for at least a fortnight." Again, Eva nodded as did Jamie, though she was not sure why. Davie Beaton quickly went to work, bracing her foot and ankle and wrapping it in a long, white cotton cloth. Jamie swept her up in his arms once again she thanked the healer. "Not to fret my dear," He smiled at her. "I will come check on it in a few days. In the meantime, if the pain becomes too much drink some hot water with turmeric or tea with cherry bark." Eva nodded and Jamie took her from the room, following Mistress Fitzgibbons up the stairs and to what she assumed would be her rooms for the duration of her stay.

Mistress Fitzgibbons opened a door and ushered Jamie inside. "Put the wee lass there, will ye Jamie?" She motioned to the made bed and he nodded, walking over and depositing her lightly over the covers. "Now, go down to the kitchens and get yerself something to eat! I'll help the young lass get settled and bathed." Jamie nodded, said his farewell and left the room, closing the door lightly behind him. Mistress Fitzgibbons bustled over to a large pot filled with water that had light steam curling from the top. She moved it over closer to the bed with impressive agility and motioned to Eva.

"Strip," She ordered. Eva looked at her.

"Excuse me?" She gaped. Eva was very shy about her body, especially in front of strangers.

"You'll need to be rid of yer clothes if ye wish to be clean, ye ken!" She smiled. "Fret not, child. I've seen my fair share of naked bodies before. Comes with the job of running the household." Eva nodded slowly and sat up, raising her shirt over her head. "What kind of corset is _that_?" She motioned to the sport bra that Eva was wearing.

"It's, em- well it's a brassiere." Eva answered slightly nervous. 'It's French." The plump woman nodded, seeming to accept Eva's answer. Eva continued to rid herself of her clothes and before long, was sitting naked in the bed in front of this strange woman.

Delicately, Mistress Fitzgibbons wrung out the cloths and wiped the dirt and grime from Eva's traveled weary body. Quickly she was clean enough for Mistress Fitzgibbons and the older woman brought over a white chemise made of cotton. The clothing was warm on her chilled body and Eva sighed in contentment.

"I'll bring ye up something to eat, lass. Rest your head now," The woman placed a hand on her cheek. "You'll be needing it." She smiled and turned around to leave the room.

"Mrs. Fitzgibbons!" Eva called out after her. The woman turned, a questioning look in her wise eyes. "Thank you, for your help."

"Everybody calls me Mrs. Fitz." She gave Eva a look that softened under a smile. "You may also."

Eva woke with a start, looking around her surroundings and seeing the furnished room. There was a fire crackling merrily in the hearth and candles lit the room, chasing away shadows. Colorful tapestries hung from the ceiling, giving warmth to the cold, stone walls. A small table with chairs sat in front of a window and a bookcase filled to the brim sat to the left of it. Next to her bed, a figure lay in sleep, slumped over on a chair.

Eva reached out her hand, touching Jamie lightly on the arm. He jumped away, scaring Eva slightly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Jamie chuckled lightly.

"Tis no worry, lass. Mrs. Fitz brought you up some broth before. It may still be warm," he motioned over to her bedside table where a bowl was filled with a clear broth with some vegetables floating in it. Eva nodded her thanks, and pushed herself up to a sitting position. Jamie handed her the bowl lightly and she slowly sipped it. It was still warm, but just barely. Eva would not complain though, seeing as these people did not have to tend to her.

The two sat in silence, the only sound breaking it being the soft slurping of Eva and the crackling of the fire. When she finished, she leaned back and Jamie took the bowl from her hands, placing it back on the table.

"Are ye Irish, lass?" He suddenly asked her and she looked over at him with her eyebrow raised. "Yer ring," He motioned to her right hand where the silver _claddagh_ ring rested, heart pointing outwards.

"My mother was," She explained, twisting the ring around her finger. "She was born in Belfast and my father in Inverness. The two met in London where they fell in love and got married. My mother's parents were furious of course. They wanted to her to marry an Irish-man. But she refused. They had only been together for three months at the time, but eloped without her parents knowing. They had me eight months later." Jamie nodded and chuckled a bit, understanding the reason for the hasty marriage. "They died nearly ten years ago." Eva's voice had grown raspy as she felt tears welling in her eyes. "This ring is one of the few things I have left of them. It was my mother's wedding ring" She explained and Jamie nodded.

"I'm sorry fer yer loss, lass. Will ye explain the meaning of it to me, then?" He motioned again to the ring on her finger and Eva nodded.

"The heart represents love, obviously, the hands represent friendship, and the crown represents loyalty. All things that are important in a marriage, or any relationship for that matter, to succeed. If the person wears it on their right hand with the heart facing outwards," She motioned to how she currently wore it. "It means the wearing is single. If the person wears it on their right hand but with the heart facing inwards," She quickly flipped the ring around to demonstrate. "It means the wearer is in a relationship. If it is on the left hand it means the wearer is engaged or married, respectively." Jamie nodded in understanding.

"You don't have a lad waiting fer ye, then?" He asked and Eva laughed.

"God no! Between work and school I have very little free time. What little I do have is usually spent with my Uncle." She explained.

"What is he like?" He asked.

"Well, my mother always said Uncle Ed would be a bachelor for life, and I suppose she was right. He always said I was the only girl who had a place in his heart and home." She smiled. "He took me in when my parents died and helped me through those times. He sat with me when I cried and when I had nightmares, he came to every school function he could, and he taught me how to be the kind of person my parents would be proud of." Jamie nodded.

"What's a bachelor?" He asked suddenly and Eva's eyes widened. She had nearly forgotten she was no longer in the twenty-first century. Life was not the same and the activities that girls were allowed to partake in during this time period would not have been the same as the one's she had as a girl. She hoped she had not given away too much information when explaining her childhood to Jamie.

"Oh, um, it's a man who never marries." She explained. "Usually by choice because they enjoy being single so much. Although," She smiled wistfully. "Uncle Ed always swore it was because no woman would be able to put up with his habits."

"He sounds like a great man."

"He was the best," Eva sighed, still playing with the ring on her finger. "What about you? What are you parents like?"

"Ah, that," He rubbed his neck with his hand. "Well you see, lass, my parents are dead as well." Eva gasped, sorrow filling her eyes. "Ah, it's naught to fret about. My mother died in childbirth when I was little more than a bairn myself. My brother, Robert died as well. My father died several years later, of a stroke." He shook his head. "Twas my fault." Eva reached over and grasped his hands.

"It was no such thing! A stroke is something that occurs naturally. Nothing you did or did not do could have caused such a thing." She explained and Jamie once again shook his head.

"Nah, you do not ken," He stood. "He was watching me be flogged when it happened. Seeing me and my punishment caused him to have a stroke and die." Eva gasped, feeling dreadfully sorry for the pain this young man had gone through. "Dougal was there. Said it was quick and probably painless. Is it?" He looked at her now. "Painless? You seem to ken something about healing and maladies." Eva nodded her head even though she truly did not know.

"From what I have been told, a stroke is a painless affair." She felt terrible for lying to him, but felt it a much better alternative than saying it was possible his father had suffered while he died. "What about your siblings? Do you have any?" She asked changing the subject.

Jamie nodded and smiled. "Aye. My brother, William. He died when I was eight. And my sister Jenny. She is still at my home, where we both grew up. She used to chase William and I around, wanting to play with us and would hit us until we allowed it." Eva smiled as the softness crept in his voice. "I havnna seen her for nearly three years now." His smile began to diminish, but before Eva could offer words of comfort Mrs. Fitz came into the room smiling as she saw Eva sitting in bed and the empty bowl next to her.

"Good, you were able to eat. Now, Jamie lad, off ye go. The lass is needing her rest now, ye ken. She will need to meet with himself tomorrow morning." Jamie nodded and rose, giving Eva a smile.

"Rest well, sassenach." He left the room before she could correct him.

When Eva woke once more it was because Mrs. Fitz had entered her room in a bustle, yanking the curtains away from her bed and letting in the bright sunlight. "Up you get, lazy bones! It's nearly eight o'clock; ye've slept half the day away!" Eva groaned and rolled over, burying her head further into the pillows. "None of that now, lass!" Mrs. Fitz ripped the covers off of Eva's body, the cold air causing her to sit up quickly.

"Bloody hell, it's freezing!" She exclaimed. Mrs. Fitz clicked her tongue at Eva's language but did not say anything further regarding the matter.

"It is time for you to get up now. We'll need to get you ready to see himself." Eva wondered who this mysterious 'himself' could be as no one had used an actual name when referring to him.

"Mrs. Fitz," Eva started and the old woman turned from where she was stoking the fireplace. "Who exactly is 'himself'?" Mrs. Fitz let out a bright chuckle.

"Why the Laird of Castle Leoch, of course!" Eva flushed deeply. She should have known it would be the Laird. "Now let's get you situated." With some difficulty Mrs. Fitz helped Eva out of the bed and into a standing position. Eva stood on one foot, the other raised slightly in the air and her weight being supported by the cane that Davie Beaton had provided to her yesterday. Mrs. Fitz slipped a corset onto Eva's frame and tightened the strings, tugging them and making Eva gasp for breath as she felt the air in her lungs being pushed out. She then added what looked like a pillow around her waist to emphasize the structure of her hips, a dark green skirt which she tied quickly and a beige colored top over that. Mrs. Fitz then all but pushed Eva down into a chair where she helped her place warm woolen stocking on her feet and one shoe.

"There we are, now you are ready." Mrs. Fitz nodded in delight at Eva's appearance. Eva glanced over at the full-length mirror which sat on the other side of the room and gazed at her appearance. She still looked tired, dark circles falling under her eyes, and the bump on her head did nothing to enhance her looks. She did have to admit that Mrs. Fitz was correct though; Eva did look much more presentable for the time period she was in.

A knocking at the door caused Eva to jump and to look over where she saw Jamie standing, a steaming bowl in his hands. "I bought breakfast for ye," He said. "You have time for a bit and then we need to be off." Eva nodded and accepted the bowl from his hands. She spooned a few bites into her mouth before Mrs. Fitz shooed her out.

"Get going now, lass, or ye'll be late for himself!" Eva was not yet done with her food but her protestations fell on deaf ears as Jamie once again picked her up and carried her from the room.

"Why are you carrying me everywhere?" She suddenly asked and Jamie looked at her in confusion.

"Well, ye canna walk, now can you?"

"Well, no, but why _you_? I'm sure there are other's who could do it just as well as you could."

"That is true," He grinned down at her. "But would you want someone else to? I can always request an alternate assignment. Though, I do have to say, this is one of the more pleasurable tasks I've been assigned at my time here." Eva blushed and Jamie laughed. He paused at a closed door and a servant opened it for him. He strode in and deposited Eva on an empty seat near the window. "I'll be back later on." Eva nodded and watched as he walked away closing the door behind him.

Eva looked around the room in fascination. It appeared to be a study of some sort, with detailed paintings covering the walls, several bookshelves, a large mahogany desk, and even birdcages. As quietly as she could Eva began to stretch her neck and hands towards the desk, hoping to grasp a letter or some piece of paper that may tell her what time she had accidentally landed in. The birds chirped along giving some background noise to conceal the sounds of shuffling papers.

After a moment of attempting, Eva's hand grasped a stray piece of paper that seemed to be a letter; at the top it read 1741. _1741!_ 'How is this even possible?' Eva thought to herself. Hearing footsteps she quickly replaced the letter in as close to the original position as she could manage and re-settled herself with a book in her hands just as the door opened.

Standing there was a man who Eva could only assume was 'himself', the Laird of Castle Leoch. The man was shorter than Eva had expected, with long dark brown hair that hung lower than her own and a full gray beard. As Eva's eyes raked over his form she realized with shock why he appeared so short; his legs were horribly deformed and crooked. She quickly raised her eyes, not wanting to seem rude.

"Forgive me sir, I could not help myself from looking." Eva spoke softly, closing the book and settling it onto the table next to her.

"Some old comrades," He drawled. "Some new acquaintances yet to make their secrets known," Eva's stomach began to drop. "But all friends nonetheless." He smiled warmly and Eva returned it. Perhaps he did not know anything about who she really was or why she was here. "I welcome ye, Mistress, to Castle Leoch. My name is Colum ban Campbell MacKenzie, Laird of this Castle." Eva was not sure if it was proper etiquette to curtsey, but regardless, she would not have been able to so she instead settled for a polite bow of her head. Colum nodded back and walked past her, taking a seat at his desk. "It was my understanding that my brother and his men found you injured on the road." Eva nodded.

"Yes. I had gotten lost and stuck in a terrible thunderstorm." Eva explained. "I was looking for shelter when I fell down a ravine and incurred some injuries, amongst them a broken ankle and a small blow to the head. Your brother and his men found me the next day." Colum nodded.

"Of course, I will need transport back to Inverness; my Uncle will be very worried about me."

"I'm sure something can be arranged. But, I do myself wish to know how exactly a lady such as yourself, came to be wandering about in the woods, so far from Inverness, dressed in clothes not suited for her gender nor station."

Eva swallowed. How could she explain _that_? "I do not quite remember what I was doing so far from home. Perhaps I was seeking wild herbs or berries? As for my clothing, sometimes my Uncle had me dress as a boy so as to not attract the wrong kind of attention." Colum seemed to accept this answer although Eva was not sure he believed her.

"Right. Well a man stops by every month or so, goes by the name Sean Petrie, on his way to Inverness. He should have room for you in his caravan. He will be here in one week on Saturday next." Eva nodded.

"Thank you, sir. It is very kind of you to offer Mr. Petrie's services to bring me back to my uncle." Colum nodded.

"Meanwhile, I offer you the hospitality of our humble home."

After her conversation with Colum Jamie had fetched Eva and brought her back to her rooms where she had met with Davie Beaton who had nodded at the progress of her ankle and given her some cherry bark tea for the pain. Eva was currently seated, her foot raised on a pillow and a copy of William Shakespeare's sonnets in her hand.

The text was just as confusing to Eva as it had been when she was forced to read it in school. While some individuals could recognize the beauty of Shakespeare's prose, Eva had never been one of them. Rather than fanciful words and rhyme schemes Eva had always preferred direct speech without hidden meaning.

A light knocking roused her weary eyes from the text and she smiled as Jamie stepping into the room, taking a seat next to her bed as he usually did.

"Enjoying the words of Mr. Shakespeare, are we?" Eva closed the book and sat it next to her.

"Not quite. I'm afraid I never understood just what he was trying to say." Jamie looked at her in shock.

"Whatever do you mean, lass?" Eva sighed and picked the book up again, flipping the pages until she found the sonnet she had been trying to read before hand.

"Like this, for example: My love is as a fever, longing still/For that which longer nurseth the disease,/Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,/Th' uncertain sickly appetite to please./My reason, the physician to my love,/Angry that his prescriptions are not kept, /Hath left me, and I desperate now approve/Desire is death, which physic did except./Past cure I am, now reason is past care,/And frantic-mad with evermore unrest;/My thoughts and my discourse as madmen's are,  
At random from the truth vainly expressed:/For I have sworn thee fair, and thought thee bright,/ Who art as black as hell, as dark as night." As Eva finished she looked over at Jamie who had a wistful smile on his face.

"Ah, a lovely poem, that is. It's quite simple as well," He held out his hand for the book and Eva handed it over. "See here where he says 'My love is as a fever longing still/For that which longer nurseth the disease,/Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill,?" Eva nodded. "The poor man's been infected with love. The whole poem is about falling so desperately in love with a lass that it makes him feel sick with want and desire. When he says, 'Past cure I am, now reason is past care,/And frantic-mad with evermore unrest;/My thoughts and my discourse as madmen's are,' he's saying that he's past curing. He never will get over this love or this lass." Eva nodded in understanding.

"But the last line? Being 'black as hell'; that does not seem all that favorable to me."

"Aye, it's not," Jamie said smiling down at her. "He curses her for placing the spell on him. He curses her for he knows that he will never be cured of his love for her." Eva looked up at him in amazement.

"How did you do that?" She gasped and Jamie chuckled lightly.

"I had many tutors as a wee lad. Spent some time in France, too. Tis really not all that hard; try again." When Eva tried to protest Jamie insisted, shoving the book back into her hands. "Just go line by line and see what ye make of it."

Eva nodded and reopened the book to another page and cleared her throat. "'Let me not to the marriage of true minds/Admit impediments,'" She paused. "So he's saying that if two people truly love one another and get married he won't stop it?" She guessed and he motioned for her to carry on. "'Love is not love/Which alters when it alteration finds,/Or bends with the remover to remove:/O, no! It is an ever-fixed mark,'" She paused once again. "So true love isn't changed or bent. It stays true and firm?" Jamie nodded a slight smile on his face. "'That looks on tempests and is never shaken;/It is the star to every wandering bark,' so it can weather any storm as long as both people are fully committed. 'Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken./ Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks/Within his bending sickle's compass come;'" Eva sighed. "See now I'm lost! What the hell is he saying?" Jamie laughed lightly.

"While rosy lips and cheeks may fade, the love will no'" He smiled and motioned for her to continue once again.

Eva nodded and cleared her throat. "Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,/But bears it out even to the edge of doom./If this be error, and upon me prov'd,/I never writ, nor no man ever lov'd.'" Eva closed the book and thought for a moment. "So love doesn't change with time, and if it does, or he's wrong about love then no man has ever truly loved?" She said with a questioning tone. Jamie nodded with a large smile on his face.

"Aye, that's it lass. Now, another." Eva gave a small sigh of exacerbation but did as he asked nonetheless, a small smile on her lips.

 **Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Authors Note: Hello all and welcome to chapter 4! This one is a little shorter than chapter 3 so I apologize. Thank you to Mia for your review and to Mal42, ShyxSkater, gilmorefreak23, and susannah65 for following the story. I hope you guys are enjoying the story!**

 **One of my biggest pet peeves is authors saying that they won't continue writing unless they get a certain number of reviews/follows/favorites. I am not doing that but I am asking that you guys please let me know what you think of the story. It seems to be generating a fair amount of traffic and I would like to know if you guys are liking it, hating it, etc. I will still continue to write regardless because I enjoy it and I do it my for self as much as you guys. That being said, enjoy!**

Chapter Four: Like Cats and Dogs

The days passed slowly for Eva as she continued to wait until Sean Petrie arrived to take her back to Inverness. Davie Beaton had come to her room several times in order to check on her ankle and head, Jamie had come occasionally to read with her, and Mrs. Fitz came in order to help her dress and bathe. Tonight would be the first night that Eva would be joining the household for dinner since she had come to Castle Leoch. Hopefully, it would be her last.

Colum, true to his word had welcomed Eva with open arms into his home. He had allowed her access to his library, where she spent much of her time trying to read the works of the brightest minds of the day. Unfortunately, she could no longer dawdle her day away in the library, but instead had to return to her rooms in order to prepare for dinner.

She had done her hair up in a simple braided bun and Mrs. Fitz had helped her into a pale beige dress. Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach as Jamie once again carried her through the halls and down to the main hall. The sounds of chattering, laughter, and utensils clinking on plates were the only sound, save Jamie's light foot falls on the stone floor that echoed through the hallways. As they entered the room the chatter slowly died as many turned and stared at the pair, making Eva uncomfortable.

"Why are they staring at me?" Eva whispered to Jamie.

"Well, it's not everyday that someone needs to be carried into the hall," He explained. "Plus there's the matter of ye being English. _And_ ," He paused dramatically. "Ye also look bonny tonight." Eva blushed deeply as Jamie approached the head table where Colum and a few others sat. Jamie gently sat her on her feet and she awkwardly curtsied as best as she could, almost falling over in the process. She would have succeeded had Jamie not caught her arm to steady her. She smiled in thanks at him and looked up to the sound of a scraping chair. Dougal had stood and pulled out the chair to Colums right, motioning for Eva to sit there. She nodded, and with Jamie's assistance took her seat. Once he had settled her he nodded to Colum and Dougal and left her, taking his place at a smaller table down below with whom Eva remembered to be Rupert and Angus.

A servant quickly approached with a jug of liquid and Colum took it from her hands. "Allow me," He poured a generous helping of wine into Eva's glass and she thanked him, toasting to his health and taking a small sip. It was surprisingly sweet and went down very smoothly.

"May I present my wife, Letitia," Colum gestured to the woman at his left. "Letitia, Mistress Burrach, an Englishwoman from Kent."

"It's a pleasure to meet ye," Letitia spoke with a deep brogue similar to her husband's.

"The pleasure is mine," Eva replied. She hoped that perhaps they could become friendly during the remainder of her time at Castle Leoch.

"I trust Mrs. Fitzgibbons found you comfortable lodgings?" Colum asked after taking another sip of his wine.

"Very," Eva replied. "She's a wonder."

"The wonder is how she manages to bake bannocks such as these with the poor ovens we have in the kitchens!" Letitia chuckled and threw a bannock at Eva who caught it quickly. Eva chuckled at her and took a small bite as Colum refilled her still mostly full glass of wine.

"So yer last name is Burrach is it?" Colum asked and Eva nodded.

"Yes. My father was originally from Inverness and my mother from Ireland. The two met in England and were quickly married and had me." Eva explained.

"I see. And how did you end up in Inverness then, if you're parents raised you in England?"

"Well," Eva swallowed another sip of wine. "My parents passed away some time ago. My parents expressed a desire for my Uncle to continue to raise me before their passing and so I went to live with him in Inverness." Colum nodded.

"My apologies for yer loss." Colum said and Eva nodded. All she wanted was to get back to the isolation of her room until the days passed and Mr. Petrie came to take her away to Inverness where she could once again return to the standing stones at Craig nu Dun and go back to 2015. Unfortunately for her, Colum was not yet done with her and brought out another bottle of wine, this one his rhenish.

With dinner finally over, Jamie had taken a rosy-cheeked Eva back to her room while trying not to laugh at her giggling demeanor. It seemed that Colums rhenish wine had quickly caught up with her and she was quite drunk. "And then," She giggled once again. "I must have had a nightmare because I opened my uncle's door and crawled into bed with him. Only," She snorted. "He wasn't alone. The poor girl nearly had a heart-attack from fright! I guess Uncle Edmond never told her that he had a niece living with him!" She burst into giggles once again as Jamie opened the door to her chamber.

"Aye, seems like he did indeed forget." He lay her on her bed. "Now, go to sleep, lass. You're likely to have a headache in the morrow." He turned to leave but she reached out a hand to stop him.

"Wait," He turned. "Don't leave me." Her voice turned soft, nothing like the giggling and girlish tone that she was just speaking in. "I'm always alone." She sniffled once as tears welled in her eyes.

Jamie was unsure what to say to comfort her as she quickly was descending into hysterics. "Hush now, lass. Yer not alone." He rubbed her back awkwardly.

"Yes I am! No one really wants me to be here! Even my Uncle didn't want me; I was forced on him because my parents are dead!" Eva knew that she was not being logical, but instead was being drunk. Colum's rhenish must be stronger than she thought.

"That may be lass, but he still took ye in," Jamie said comfortingly. "And yer Uncle's not dead. Ye still have him." Eva sobbed even louder at that and Jamie paused. "Er, is yer Uncle not alive then, lass?" Eva shook her head furiously. Because technically no, he _wasn't alive!_ He had not even been born yet but Eva couldn't explain that.

"No! No, he is but he still never wanted children! He would be so much happier if I never went back!" Eva continued to cry and Jamie wrapped his arms tighter around her.

"Hush, now lass. We'll get ye back to Inverness and all will be well. It'll all be alright, ye'll see." The pair rocked back and forth slowly as Jamie

continued to stroke her back and whisper soothing words into her ears. As her tears and sniffles slowly came to a halt she lifted her head from Jamie's chest where she had been crying.

"I'm so sorry," She sniffed. "I got your shirt all wet." Jamie grinned down at her.

"If tears are the worst thing to get on this shirt, I'll consider it a lucky shirt." She smiled up at him. The two locked eyes and Eva noticed that his were the most amazing shade of green, like those of a healthy and thriving fern. The two slowly moved closer together, foreheads resting on each others and breath growing steadily deeper and sharper. They continued moving even closer and Jamie's eyes began to flutter closed. Suddenly, Eva came to her senses and pulled away, blushing.

"I'm sorry, I," She stuttered. "I don't know what came over me. It seem's Colum's rhenish is a little stronger than I thought."

"Aye," Jamie nodded. "Most are under the table after two glasses. Fret not, and get some rest, Sassenach." He kissed and cheek and left the room. Eva smiled as his form retreated, finding that she did not mind so much when he called her _sassenach_. She burrowed into her pillows, still wearing her dinner dress and with a smile on her face.

When Eva woke the next day she was disgruntled to see that Jamie was right; she _did_ have an awful hangover. 'That damn rhenish!' she thought. The light streaming through her windows seemed to pulsate through her skull and made her feel queasy. However, she did not get sick and managed to get down some broth and a bannock that Mrs. Fitz had brought her. She carefully chewed on the bread and thought back to the previous night. _What had she been thinking? Almost kissing a man who may have well been a stranger!_ It was just as well though since Eva only had two more days before Mr. Petrie would arrive at Castle Leoch in order to take her back to Inverness. There, she would somehow manage to hike the monstrous hill, arrive at the standing stones, and transport herself back into her own time.

It was to her relief and sadness that she was left mainly alone the next two days. Jamie had not visited her and save Mrs. Fitz or a serving girl bringing her something to eat, Eva was left to her own devices. The second day after the dinner she had attended Jamie entered her room quickly, his shirt askew.

"Are ye ready, Sassenach?" He asked out of breath. Clearly he had run up the stairs to her chambers. Eva nodded and he came over and scooped her up. "Sorry fer being late. I was a bit, er, preoccupied." His cheeks were a slight pink color and Eva noticed a red mark on his collarbone that his shirt did not hide.

"Yes," She said stiffly. "It seems you were." Jamie blushed a deeper scarlet, but did not reply. The two continued on their journey down to the courtyard where Mr. Petrie was waiting, his caravan nearly full to bursting. Eva questioned to herself where she and her meager belongings would fit.

"The bannocks should last a day or two and the cheese should keep fer a week!" Mrs. Fitz said as as she handed a basking brimming with food to Eva.

"You've been too kind, Mrs. Fitzgibbons." Eva expressed as she settled herself as comfortably as she could in the back of the wagon amongst the traders wares. Jamie stood to the side watching. Mrs. Fitz kissed her gently on the cheek and as she pulled away she had a grim frown on her face. Eva turned to see Dougal approaching.

"Colum wishes to see ye," He said simply.

"Why?" Dougal did not respond but instead took her in his arms and carried her back towards the castle.

"What is the meaning of this!" Eva yelled. "Let me down right now, you bloody bastard!"

"I've warned ye once about yer language, mistress. I'll no' do it again." Dougal threatened lowly. Eva went quiet at that and watched where Dougal was taking her. She recognized these hallways; they were headed towards Colum's study. The door was open and Dougal deposited her in a chair quickly before closing the door and standing guard at it.

"Good day, Mistress Burrach," Colum smiled at her. "Ye have no connections to Clan Beaton, do ye?" Eva shook her head. "Well it seems that Master Beaton is in need of an assistant. As I have been made aware ye have some skill with healing do ye not?" Eva nodded.

"Yes, although I am not a professional by any means." Eva's stomach had dropped to her knees. Did this mean they would not let her leave?

"Regardless, ye will serve Master Beaton in his surgery until further notice. Perhaps he can turn ye into a master healer."  
"But," Eva stuttered. "But I'm leaving!"

"No, you're staying." Colum said with defiance in his voice. It was clear; Eva had no choice but to accept.

"What did they say to you? Why do you insist on keeping me here like a prisoner?" Eva cried out in frustration.

"I suspect ye may be an English spy, Mistress Barrrach. If not, at the very least, I suspect ye have your secrets." Colum growled.

"If I was an English spy, why would I have warned your brother and his men about an English ambush?" She sneered.

"Like I said," Colum turned to leave the room. "I suspect ye at least have yer secrets. Maybe they're the kind of secrets all women possess. Maybe they're the kind of secrets that pose no threat to Castle Leoch or Clan MacKenzie. But until they are revealed to me, I will keep ye where I can see ye."

"So I'm meant to be a prisoner?!" She cried.

"Only if ye try and escape."

Eva's fate was sealed. It seemed that she was destined to stay in the eighteenth century and nothing she did would change that. She was sitting in a chair within Davie Beaton's surgery as he explained where he kept various herbs, potions, medicinals, and bandages.

"Over here are all the pestles and mortars to grind things up in a powder," He motioned to a glass case. "And here are where the powders are stored," He motioned to another glass case next to it. "They are all organized alphabetically so ye can never not find what it is yer looking for. Now," he turned to Eva. "Do ye ken much about using herbs and potions to remedy maladies? Or are your talents restricted to setting broken bones and creating splints?"

Eva shook her head lightly. "I'm afraid I don't know much about the medicinal uses of most herbs. I know that aloe can be used to ease the pain of burns and mint can settle an upset stomach." She trailed off. While she may have been a nursing student in the twenty-first century the luxury of antibiotics and pharmaceuticals in general meant she never had to learn the properties of various roots and herbs.

"Pfft," Davie scoffed. "Even Colums son Hamish knows that and he's only a lad of six!" Eva blushed. "Well we'll start you out slow then. Take these and grind them into a fine powder like. When you finish make sure you put them in the right bottle." Davie placed several small bushels of various flowers and plants next to her before digging through one of his glass cabinets and producing the corresponding vial and a mortar and pestle. Eva nodded and began going to work.

Eva picked up one plant and broke into smaller pieces before added it to the mortar and began grinding it up into as fine of a powder as she could manage. "Stop!" Davie cried. "What on earth are you doing?"

"What you asked me to?" Eva was confused. Was she doing this wrong?

"You don't put the whole plant in, my dear girl!" He sighed. "The roots are useless and will only serve to taint the treatment! Use the flowers, leaves and stems!" Eva nodded and took another piece of the plant, ripping off the roots and starting again.

"What kind of plant is this, anyway?" She asked after several awkward moments in which Davie was watching her with a critical eye.

"Oh dear," Davie was shaking his head in frustration. It seemed he thought he would be getting an apprentice who knew more about herbs that Eva did. "It's blessed thistle. Used to treat the plague. If brewed in a tea it can also help with fever, colds, and dysentery." Eva nodded. It seemed she would have a lot to learn before Davie would trust her with any serious matters. She went back to grinding the plant hoping that she wouldn't accidentally poison anyone when she started actually treating people.

As the days turned into weeks Eva had stopped wearing her brace and was walking on her own, only needing the cane for long journeys. She was currently on her way to dinner which was being served in the hall as usual. Eva's skirts were trailing behind her and her footfalls fell in a slightly uneven rhythm; while her ankle had healed almost perfectly the bone did not set properly which left her with a slight limp. Her shoes which were soft-soled were slipping off of her feet and she paused, cursing, to fix them. As she did she heard a distinctively feminine giggle coming from behind a tapestry just ahead of her. Resolving herself to pass quickly Eva hurried to fix her shoe. Before she could pass, the tapestry moved and two figures came out from behind it grinning. One was a pretty brunette who looked to be about eighteen. The other was none other than Jamie. The two smiled at each other and bad their farewells going in opposite directions. The girl giggled once more as she continued on her path to the hall and Jamie grinned to himself as he turned to head back to his rooms. He paused upon seeing her, his eyebrows raised.

"Good evening, Mistress Burrach. I hope everything is well?" He asked politely. Eva narrowed her eyes at him and simply walked past not giving him a response. Since she had been told she must stay at Castle Leoch Jamie had nearly stopped coming to her rooms all together and had all but ignored her in the hall during meal times.

It was her own fault, she supposed. If she had not gotten so drunk that night then she never would have almost kissed him and never would have ruined their tentative friendship. 'Forget it.' She thought to herself. 'And forget him.' She would be leaving soon anyway, whether Colum MacKenzie approved of it or not.

Eva entered the hall on her own as she normally did and took a seat at the emptiest table as far away from the other groups of people as she could. She had not sat at the high table since that first night which was just as well to her. It was much easier to blend in when one was not raised on a platform and at the focal point of all discussion. Eva grabbed a small piece of roasted chicken, some carrots, and a piece of bread before digging in and listening to the conversations around her. Even though she could barely understand what was being said in the rapidly flowing Gaelic, Eva liked to imagine she knew what the other dinner patrons were discussing based on the tones of their voices.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" A soft voice broke Evas concentration and she looked up to see the girl from behind the tapestry standing in front of her. Eva motioned with her hand for the girl to sit and she did so, piling food onto her plate.

"My name is Fiona. Pleasure to meet ye." Eva was more than a little disgruntled to see that Fiona was even prettier up front than she was from a distance. Her hair was long and wavy, reaching down to her waist and her eyes were bluer than a summer sky. Her complexion was clear, the color of fresh milk and her cheeks were naturally rosy.

"I'm-"

"Oh I know who you are, Eva Burrach." Fiona interrupted her. "The whole castle has been talking about your presence ever since you arrived." Eva blushed. "Oh it hasn't been anything too awful! It mostly is just gossip."

"Gossip? Oftentimes that's worse than anything else." Eva murmured as she pushed her food around on her plate. She suddenly had lost her appetite.

"Oh don't worry about them. It's mostly the maid's wondering what you're doing here and how you came to be at Castle Leoch. Most don't even think you're an English spy anymore." Fiona said. While Eva had lost her appetite, Fiona was making up for it as she scooped a large helping of meat into her mouth.

"An English spy? Is that really what they think? That's ridiculous!" Fiona raised an eyebrow.

"Is it? Tis not too often we get foreigners here; especially not English ones. Most scots and English get on like cats and dogs, you ken." Eva nodded.

"Yes, but still. I'm not a spy!"

"I believe you," Eva looked at Fiona in shock at that. "I don't know what you might be, but I don't think it's a spy."

"Thank you," Eva said quietly. Some moments of silence passed before she spoke again.

"So you and Jamie are together then?" Fiona's loud laugh echoed through the hall and several of the men and women sitting nearby looked over in aggravation at having their conversation interrupted.

"You mean are we courting?" She asked and Eva nodded. "Heaven's no! He's just a fun lad to pass the time with. Why are you interested in courting a scot?" Eva blushed a deep scarlet color at Fiona's line of questioning.

"No, of course not. I'm heading back to Inverness as soon as Laird MacKenzie see's fit to allow me to. I only asked because we had been spending some time together before and it suddenly stopped. I only wondered if it was because of a girl," Eva explained. She knew it was in fact because of a girl, but not a strange one that he was spending time kissing and clandestinely meeting. It was because of her.

"Fret not, my dear." Fiona reached across the table and grasped Eva's hand lightly. "Men are fickle creatures. He'll come to his senses soon enough."


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors Note: Thank you to those of you who reviewed and followed! I'm glad you are enjoying this story. To ShyxSkater: I'm glad you are enjoying it! I too love Claire, and her and Jamie's relationship, but as this is a Jamie/OC fic, I am really trying to stay away from quoting the show verbatim. I'm also glad that you find Eva relateable. I really tried hard to make a character that was three-dimentional and had a lot of faults that modern women have, including insecurities about her body, future, etc. Also, I really wanted to make her realistic! So many fics with modern day characters have them know EVERYTHING about botany which I just don't see being particularly true.**

 **To Mia: Thank you for your review! Laoghaire will be in the story, probably in the next chapter or two. Well see!**

 **To Cassidy: Thank you for your review!**

 **Just a quick note about this chapter; It is past 2 am here and I can barely see straight (unfortunately I can't go to bed until 330 :( ) While I did read through this chapter and make edits, I may have missed a few so I apologize. Enjoy!**

Chapter Five: Unexpected Visitors

The day after meeting Fiona Eva was walking the hallways looking for Colum. Davie Beaton had dismissed her from the surgery after she broke two vials, one of ground human bone and one of mouse droppings, and insisted that she go wreak havoc somewhere else in the castle. Eva considered that she had done them all a favor in breaking the vials since it was unlikely either of those ingredients would actually help heal someone. Instead, it would likely only make them more sick!

But after spending some time in her rooms, browsing through the books that she did not want to read, and being told to leave the kitchens in case she set herself on fire or burned herself by Mrs. Fitz, Eva was running out of things to do. She entered Colums office after knocking and saw him sitting at his desk with Dougal across from them; the two appeared to be in the midst of a very serious discussion.

"I'm sorry," Eva said quietly feeling awkward at her interruption. "I can come back later." She turned to leave but Colum stopped her.

"There's no need. My brother was just leaving," Dougal scowled but stood to leave, shooting Colum a look that said their discussion clearly was not over. As he closed the door behind him Colum turned to Eva with a small smile. "Now what can I do for you Mistress Burrach?"

"Well I was wondering if it would be okay for me to go to the stables and possibly go for a ride. Mister Beaton told me to take the rest of the day off and Mrs. Fitz does not need help in the kitchens. I would love to explore the land a little and get some fresh air." She explained.

Colin nodded once to himself. "Yes Davie Beaton mentioned to me that you had a few mishaps this week in the surgery." Eva blushed. She was notoriously clumsy at home and it seemed that the unfortunate trait had followed her into the eighteenth century. "I see no reason why you should not be able to go on a ride. Head to the stables in an hour and I will send someone there to escort you on your ride."

Eva blanched slightly at that. She was hoping to use her ride in order to scout out potential escape routes; a task that would be markedly harder with someone hovering over her shoulder.

"Oh you don't need to do that. I would hate to take someone away from a task they are needed at." Eva tried to be subtle but just as she was known for her clumsiness at home she was also known for being awful at subterfuge.

"Ah 'tis no bother, mistress. The woods can get confusing to someone who is untrained in their ways. All sorts of beasts dwell there. I would hate for you to fall to some sort of accident." Not wanting to raise further suspicion by pushing it further Eva conceded.

"Then I thank you for your protection and foresight to my well being. Good day, sir."

"Good day, Mistress Burrach."

An hour later Eva was walking towards the stables and enjoying the fresh air. She had spent far too much time in the Castle and relished in being in the open air once more. Perhaps she could start running again. 'No,' she thought to herself. 'That would be far too difficult to explain.' Instead she would have to settle for going on walks and maybe doing some exercises in the privacy of her own rooms.

Eva smiled as she saw the stables getting closer. They were fairly small, with enough room for a dozen or so horses, with a hay loft above them and a lunging ring next to it. Next to the lunging ring was two large pastures for the horses to graze and exercise in. The stables were mostly open to the elements and the breeze on the air swept the scent of sweet hay and horse manure over to Eva.

As she entered the stables she saw Alec the horsemaster, whom she had met one night at dinner. She smiled politely at him. "Good afternoon. Colum said I could go for a ride this afternoon. Are you my guide?" Alec did not reply but just gave her an odd look.

"Nay, lass," A familiar voice came over her from behind her. "That would be me." Eva closed her eyes in frustration and inwardly groaned. Of course Colum would send Jamie of all people to escort her. She would have to be even more careful with her sneaking around than she thought.  
"Of course you are." She muttered under her breath.

"Sorry did ye say something?" Eva just shook her head and smiled sweetly at him. "Right well, ye'll be riding Saorsa. She's a girl who does well wit' strangers." Jamie motioned over to a bay horse with a white stripe running down her forehead who had already been tacked. Eva walked over slowly and held out her hand for the horse to sniff. The horse nuzzled her hand gently and Eva giggled as the velvet textured nose tickled her hand. Eva ran her hand up and down the horse's neck gently in an effort to get the horse comfortable with her. Jamie finished tacking his own horse, a monstrous all black stallion and grabbed the reins of both horses, leading them out of the stables. Eva followed at a distance, suddenly very nervous. What she was planning on doing was dangerous and if anything were to go wrong would Jamie get in trouble for it? She reminded herself that she should not care what would or would not happen to Jamie as her biggest concern should be getting home to 2015. Jamie loosely tied the reins of his horse to a post and held out his hand to Eva.

"Come on, lass. I'll help ye mount." Eva walked over and ignored his hand instead resolving to get on by herself. She put her foot in the stirrup and pushed off the ground trying to swing her leg over the saddle as she had seen the men do it when they brought her to Castle Leoch. But just as she was about to make it over Saorsa decided to start walking and Eva fell out of the stirrup and onto the ground.

Jamie quickly dropped the reins and came over to her crouching to her level and holding her shoulders. "Mistress Burrach! Are ye alright?" Eva nodded.

"I'm not hurt. My pride is a little bruised, though." Jamie smiled at that and held his hand out for her. She took it and smiled gently as he led her over to Saorsa where she tried mounting once again. This time she managed to get on the horse and settled in the saddle and Jamie followed suit much more quickly than she had.

He clicked his tongue and his horse began walking into the woods. Eva went to follow him by clicking her own tongue in a similar manner but Saorsa did not budge. Instead she just stood there, looking around as if confused by the noise coming from her rider. Eva clicked her tongue again, this time a little louder and was frustrated when instead of moving, Saorsa bent her head down and began eating the grass.

Jamie turned around at hearing her cry of frustration and came trotting over to her with an eyebrow raised. "Having trouble are we?"

Eva nodded. "How do I make her go?" She said softly, embarrassed. Jamie suddenly let out a booming laugh which startled Sarosa slightly. The horse raised her head from her snack and seemed to give Jamie a glare. Eva blushed deeply and also gave Jamie a look of death.

"I'm sorry, lass. It's just," He paused, still chuckling. "Have ye ever ridden a horse before?"

"When I rode with you it was the first time," She admitted quietly. Jamie laughed once again and Eva had enough.

"You know what, just forget it. This was a stupid idea anyway." Eva blinked back tears and moved to get down from Sarosa when Jamie stopped her.  
"Don't go. It's just if I had known I would have given you a quick lesson," His smile and the laughter on his face had gone and he looked decidedly sober. "Wait there." He swung off his horse and re-tied him to the post the horse was previously stationed at and walked over to Eva and Sarosa.

"Now, everything the horse will do will come from your body. She will feel what you do and respond accordingly. Squeeze yer legs softly to make her walk," Jamie instructed, holding the bridle loosely in his own hands. Eva just barely squeezed and the horse did not budge. "A little harder than that, lass. She has to know it's you and that ye want her to move." Eva squeezed again, this time a little harder and Sarosa began walking slowly. "Good. Now ye want to move yer body with the motion of the horse. Rock back and forth with her a little." Jamie nodded. "Good, now to get her to stop pull back gently on the reins." Eva did so and Sarosa came to a halt. Jamie smiled up at her and patted Sarosa lightly on the neck. "Good, think yer ready to try the trails?" Eva was nervous but nodded nonetheless. Jamie grinned up at her and walked over to his own horse, jumping on his back and heading back into the woods. "Come on, Sassenach. Let's see how you do." Eva squeezed Sarosa once again and the horse began walking into the woods, following Jamie and his mount. Eva realized she did not know how to steer but there was only one trail and Sarosa seemed to know to follow it on her own so Eva did not do anything other than hold onto the reins tightly. Jamie slowed his own horse down and began walking next to her.

"Ye know," He said grinning at her. "Ye don't have to hold onto the reins so tight. Sarosa is a good girl, she won't take off on ye." Eva blushed and loosened her grip slightly but still held firmly to them. Jamie laughed and said, "Ye know I don't know if I've ever seen someone blush as much as ye." Eva blushed even harder at that and Jamie laughed again. He really did have a nice laugh, she thought. "It's a good thing!" He reassured her. "I like it when ye blush." The two fell into an easy silence as the horses continued on their way.

"So I met your friend Fiona the other day," Eva said softly breaking the silence. Jamie nodded. "She seems like a very nice girl."

"Aye, she is. She's an old friend and a good one too."

"Oh just a friend?" Jamie nodded.

"Aye, what else would she be?" He gave her an odd look.

"Well," Eva swallowed nervously. "I know I don't go around kissing my friends behind tapestries." She said and he laughed.

"Aye well I don't do that too much meself either. Fiona's a good lass though and knows kissing behind tapestries is all it will ever be, ye ken?" Eva nodded.

"So you don't want to date - er - court her? Marry her perhaps?" She asked. She wasn't sure why she had asked such a question and was inwardly berating herself when he replied.

"Nay," Jamie shook his head. "Fiona and I have known each other since we were nearly bairns. She's one of my eldest friends. Besides, I'm not too sure it's me Fiona is interested in." Eva gave him a look of confusion.

"What do you mean?" She asked and Jamie just gave her a pointed look. Suddenly it dawned on Eva. "Oh! Oh, I see," He nodded.

"So ye see, Fiona and I will not be getting married anytime soon." Eva nodded. "What about ye? Have ye thought much about marriage?" Eva simply shrugged her shoulders.

"A bit. Where I come from it is a little different than here. Girls don't usually get married as young as they do here. I'm sure I will get married at some point but likely not for quite some time. There's a few things I want to do before I get married and start a family." She explained.

"Oh? Like what?" Jamie asked looking at her.

"I want to finish school for one thing," She explained. "And I want to travel. There are so many amazing places in the world to see and I want to go to each one and see how other people lived before me. My Uncle is interested in history, you know, so some of his passion has rubbed off on me."

Jamie nodded. "And where would ye go?" Eva sighed.

"Everywhere! I want to see France and America! China and India! The America's and Africa! The world is so big and I can't wait to explore it." Jamie smiled. He had heard of all of those places but never thought to visit any of them. France, he had visited for some time a few years back but could do without a return visit. "You spent some time in France right? What was it like?" Eva asked. She knew the Paris of the eighteenth century was likely very different from the Paris in her own time, but there had to have been some similarities.

"Dirty," He said. "And loud. My cousin is a wine merchant there and I spent quite some time with him when I was younger. He lives in a grand home with servants and maids and cooks but when you leave the villa and walk away from the part of the city he lives in ye see what city life is really like." His eyes grew more somber as he became entrapped in his own memories. "The poor lay out on the street like garbage, begging for a few coins or a scrap of bread to feed their bairns. Some women turn to whoring themselves just to keep food in their bellies and children learn to steal as soon as they learn to walk. It's a life I would not wish on anyone." Eva noded.

"That sounds very sad indeed. Why were you in France?" She asked.

"I studied at the Université," He replied and she nodded. "I came back to Scotland afterwards and returned to my family home."

"I thought Castle Leoch was your home?" Eva was confused. He lived at the Castle and frequently referred to it as his home.

"Well now it is. But I wasna raised here." Jamie explained. "Colum and Dougal are me Uncle's. A few years ago I had a run-in with some redcoats. I couldna go home so they allowed me to take refuge at Castle Leoch." Eva nodded. The two cleared the woods and had entered a small meadow where they stopped and allowed the horses to get some water.

"What happened? With the redcoats I mean?" Eva asked after a moment of silence. "Oh my God that was so rude! I'm sorry, you don't need to answer that!" Jamie smiled ruefully at her.

"It's okay, lass. I'll tell ya, but ye may want to sit down, though." He patted the spot of grass next to him and Eva took a seat, fluffing her skirts around her.

"After I came back from France I returned to my home. One day I was working up in the fields when I heard yelling. My father was at a funeral a few farms over so I rushed down." He swallowed a lump in his throat. "The British had imposed a tax on all the land-holders in the county and sent out small parties of soldiers collecting food, horses for transport and the like. Then one day in October Captain Jonathan Randall came to our place.

"When I got down from the fields I saw two redcoats molesting my sister, Jenny. I told her to run and I tried to fight them off. But that bloody bastard Randall grabbed Jenny and held a gun to her head. I tried to surrender to him and have him leave Jenny alone. He thought she was my wife and when I told him it was my sister," He paused. "I swear he got this sick little glimmer in his eyes. He ripped open her dress and made me look as he held her like some prized cow. He wanted to send a message; 'This is what you get when you fight back against the English'.

"They tied me to a few posts and Randall starting beating me with his riding crop. Hurt something fierce but I refused to cry out. They made Jenny watch until Randall told her to offer him better entertainment. I told her not to go with him, even if they killed me but she did. I suppose she was afraid they really would kill me. They knocked me out as Randall brought her into the house. I woke up trussed up along with the chickens." Eva stared at him in horror.

"That must have been awful. I'm so sorry!"

"Aye, chickens are verra poor company," He grinned at her. Eva smiled back. The ease with which he told his story was slightly unnerving to Eva; how could one talk about such horrors especially when they had been inflicted upon their body?

"A week or so after arriving at Fort William I tried to escape. I almost managed it too, but the guards didn't change their shift like I had planned so I was caught. They ordered 100 lashes as punishment." Eva gasped. She had never been beaten, only had her bottom swatted a few times as a child for bad behavior and that was bad enough. She couldn't imagine enduring one lash, never mind one hundred. "Aye. Again I didn't cry out and Captain Randall couldn't stand for that; set a bad example ye see. So he ordered another hundred, this time for stealing, though I don't know what it was I was supposed to have stolen.

"They would've given me those extra lashes that day had the jails doctor not intervened. Said I would likely die before the sentence was even half way through. There's no joy in flogging a dead man."

"I can't imagine anyone getting joy out of such a horrendous act." Eva said softly, placing her hand gently over his in comfort.

"Well if he did not get joy out of it, Captain Randall was at the least verra pleased with himself." Jamie said gruffly. "He gave me the second lashing himself a week later." She squeezed his hand at that admission and Jamie smiled softly at her.

"After, some of my friends came and helped me escape. I was too weak to do much more than hold onto the horse they brought for me. Dougal sent for me and I recovered at Castle Leoch. I've been there ever since," He explained finally. "I cannot return home for there is a price on my head. Ten pounds sterling; for some folk around here that is nearly half of what they make in a year. While I trust the folk at Castle Leoch, I canna risk going back to prison."

"That seems a bit excessive for one escaped prisoner," Eva commented dryly. He was so nonchalant about his time in prison, his escape, and the bounty on his head that she could not understand it for the life of her!

"Oh the price on my head isn't for escaping. It's fer murder." Eva gasped and wrenched her hand back from Jamie's as her eyes went wide and she prepared to flee.

"Relax, Sassenach," Jamie grabbed her hand. "I may have been charged with it, but I dinna kill any man. A guard was shot while I was escaping and they blamed me. But remember, I could not do more than hold onto my horse." Eva nodded, remembering that he had said that.

"So who really killed the guard?" She asked and Jamie shrugged.

"I don't know. If I ever find out I hope I can clear my name and return to my real home." Eva nodded.

"I hope so too," Jamie smiled warmly at her and she smiled back. She was glad their relationship was being mended and that they had made this step back towards becoming friends.

The sound of hoof-beats broke the comfortable silence they were sitting in and out of the trees four red-coats emerged. Jamie immediately tensed up next to her and tightened his grasp on Eva's hand which had gone clammy and slick with sweat at the sight of the red coats, now knowing what they had done to Jamie. Eva hoped they would continue on their way without seeing them but luck was not on their side. The leader turned his horse towards them and the four soldiers stopped in front of them, taking off their hats and nodding their heads to Eva. "Good day, madam. Sir,"

Jamie was silent so Eva responded. "Good day, sirs." The leader looked slightly taken aback at her English accent but did not say anything, at least at first.

"My companions and I have been traveling for quite some time and are seeking shelter. Is there an inn or tavern nearby where we might find lodgings?" He asked. He was an older gentleman who might have been handsome ten years ago. The stress of being a soldier seemed to have taken its toll on the man as his belly sported a good amount of pudge and his eyes were wrinkled with bags under them.

"Ride about ten miles south," Jamie said quickly. "There ye'll find an inn. It's not great, but their ale is good and their beds are clean." The red coat thanked Jamie and went to leave, but before he did he turned and faced Eva once more.

"Forgive me, Madam, but I must ask; are you alright?" Eva looked at him in confusion.

"Excuse me? What do you mean?"

"I mean," He looked at Jamie warily. "Are you being held against your will? Is this man holding you captive?" Eva's eyes widened in understanding and Jamie tensed beside her. She felt conflicted about what to do. If she said that she was being held captive, the English would take her from Jamie's custody and that of the MacKenzies. She may then be able to return to the standing stones at Craig na Dun but that was not guaranteed. Plus, what would happen to Jamie? Would they arrest him again? Would he be flogged again? She couldn't be responsible for bringing harm to him, not again.

But, she thought, the British army were always the good guys. She had learned in her history lessons that the British army were the good ol' boys, standing for justice and what is right. Surely if she explained that she had simply gotten lost and the Scots had taken her in for the time being they would not harm Jamie. But after hearing Jamie's tale, she was not so sure.

"Madam?" He prodded and Eva was ripped from her thoughts. She smiled gently up at the man and placed her hand on Jamie's chest.

"Thank you for your concern, sir. But this man is actually my husband. I assure you I am perfectly well and safe." Jamie's posture betrayed nothing and Eva's heart was beating so fast she thought it would burst from her chest as the redcoat looked down at them. After what seemed like hours he nodded, seemingly satisfied.

"Very well, my apologies for the intrusion."

"No apologies needed, sir. Ride safely," He nodded at her and turned, joining his companions. Jamie and Eva waited with their breaths held until they could not longer see or hear the redcoats. As soon as it was silent once again Jamie jumped up and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, let's get out of this bloody place." Eva could not have agreed more and before long the two were back on their mounts and riding back to Castle Leoch. They were halfway back when she realized that she had not scouted out potential escape routes like she had originally planned.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Hello all! First off I would like to thank everyone who Favorited/followed this story and has reviewed. They really do make my day and I love hearing what you guys think about the story so far.**

 **I did just want to make one comment; it seems like there are about 200 people who have read the latest chapter, but only one review. I would really appreciate if you guys could let me know what you think, even if it isn't positive! If there is something I can do better, please let me know!**

 **Anyways, enjoy the newest chapter and please pleas please review!**

Chapter Six: Blood vows

Jamie and Eva made it back to the stables quickly and Jamie helped her dismount. He dropped the reins and grasped Eva into a tight hug. "Thank you, lass. You dinna have to tell them that, and I will not forget it." Eva hugged him back tightly. His body was shaking with the adrenaline he must have been feeling and it brought slight tremors to Eva's own body.

"Of course. I couldn't lie, could I? I am safe with you; at least I feel that way." Jamie pulled back and nodded.

"I promise ye, ye will always be safe with me, Sassenach. I owe you a debt and I willna forget it." Eva nodded. She didn't want him to feel obligated to protect her or spend time with her. She wanted him to _want_ to spend time with her.

"Now come," Jamie held his hand out to her. "I'll teach ye how to care for the horses after a ride. Then, we need to talk to Colum about what happened."

Caring for the horses after a ride was a lot more involved than Eva had previously thought. After taking the saddle and bridle off, the horses needed to be fed, watered and brushed down with straw. Their hooves had to be cleaned of mud and rocks and Jamie showed her to to raise the leg and carefully clean it out without hurting the horse.

The two had then walked back to the castle in silence. Jamie was deep in thought about what the appearance of red coats so close to Castle Leoch meant; had someone within the castle tipped them off about his presence there? Was the girl walking next to him in fact, an English spy who had told them? He inwardly shook his head. That was impossible as he had only just told her about his outlaw status right before the redcoats had entered the meadow. Perhaps it was just an unfortunate coincidence. 'Yes,' he thought to himself. 'It must be.'

They had arrived at Colum's study which was open and knocked lightly on the door frame. When Colum bade them enter they did so, each bowing their head in respect.

"Ah, how was the ride? Did ye enjoy yourself?" He asked Eva.

"It was very refreshing to get some fresh air," She smiled. "I thank you once again for allowing it. However, there was a, er, incident during the ride."

"Oh?" Colum's smile lessened and he looked at them questionably.

"What kind of trouble would that be?"

"Redcoats, sir." Jamie explained. "Four of them came to the meadow just east of the stables and asked where they could find lodgings. I sent them to Ardnagrask."

Colin nodded. "Well it is slightly troubling that they were so close to Castle Leoch. They rarely venture this far north. Perhaps they were just passing through" he mused. "I'm sure it's nothing to concern yourself with, young Jamie."

Jamie looked as if he might disagree but in the interest of respect nodded his head stiffly.

"I will of course increase patrols in the woods just in case, and in the meantime you may want to make yourself less visible outside of the castle and the grounds." Jamie nodded at Colum's suggestion and thanked him for his time. Him and Eva turned and left the room and paused once they were down the hall.

"Jamie," Eva said gently and he looked at her. "Are you okay? You seem really shaken up about this whole thing." Her eyes were filled with concern and Jamie smiled gently at her.

"Ah, I will be. Just a little unsettling, ye ken?" She nodded. "Part of me wonders if they were here because someone tipped them off about me, but I've known everyone in this castle since either I or they were bairns. I can't imagine any of them doing such a thing. They all hate the British as much as I do." He laughed lightly.

Eva flushed at that and her eyes narrowed slightly. "Well," She pursed her lips. "If you are fine then I think I will see if I can be useful elsewhere. Although who knows, they may refuse me seeing as I'm _British_." She stormed away, frustrated that his attitude towards the British as a whole was so negative. It wasn't fair! She had never done anything to harm anyone and he was just lumping her in with everyone else. Jamie called out after her but she ignored him and continued walking down the halls, frustrated tears welling up in her eyes.

The day after their ride Eva was down in the surgery again, having returned to Davie Beaton's service. There had been an accident in the town and he had ridden off to tend to the wounded, leaving her to clean up the surgery and make note of any of the potions or poultices that were running low.

Secretly, Eva was happy that Davie Beaton was not there that day. She had not slept well the night before and was not sure that she could take his backhanded remarks about her inability to do much good in the surgery, especially after what Jamie had said the night before. It would also give her a chance to truly clean the surgery for the first time since she had come to Castle Leoch. She had asked Mrs. Fitz to bring her several buckets of steaming water, several flasks of alcohol and many rags. The kind woman had done as she had asked and sent Murtagh and a serving boy up with the necessary supplies. They had set them all on the floor by the door where Eva had asked them to put them and left her to her own devices. Eva took one of the pots that was filled only with water and placed it over the fire, bringing it to a steady boil. She then slowly entered as many tools in the boiling water as she could, being careful not to splash herself with the hot water, and leaving them in there for several minutes to disinfect, before removing them with pliers and setting them on a clean cloth to cool and dry. She continued to repeat the process until each surgery tool had been thoroughly boiled and disinfected to her satisfaction.

Once that was done Eva set to cleaning the various tables. She threw out scrap pieces of paper and broken pens that Davie Beaton had left lying around and began with scrubbing the tables with the soapy water. She was just rinsing off the third table when the door to the surgery opened and Jamie entered.

"Hey," She said looking up at him and he smiled at her. Her hair was desperately trying to escape the updo she had placed it in, frizzing around her head from the humidity in the room and her cheeks were rosy from the exertion of trying to scrub out years old stains on the tables. "Are you hurt? What do you need?"

"I'm not hurt, lass. I just came to speak with ye." He explained as he closed the door behind him.

"Yes well, as you can see I'm quite busy here so can we talk later?" While she would never deny him medical care, she wanted to avoid speaking to him all together. The verbal wounds from the previous night were still fresh in her mind.

"Eva," He grasped her elbow lightly causing her to look into his eyes. "Please." Was all he said and she nodded, giving in. She placed the rag on the table and walked over to one of the chairs taking a seat, Jamie pulling up another.

The two just looked at each other and Eva felt uncomfortable, wringing her hands in her lap. "Well, you wanted to speak?"

"I wanted to apologize," He started. "For what I said yesterday. Yer not like the rest of the British and I ken that. Yer kind and gentle where they are harsh and cruel. Yer doing yer best to fit in here all while being along and a complete foreigner to our ways. Ye try to help where ye can, whether it be here in the surgery or with Mrs. Fitz in the kitchens; although from what I understand sometimes ye do more harm than good." He grinned at her and Eva chuckled. "Basically, lass I want to say 'I'm sorry and I don't hate ye. Can ye forgive me?" He grasped her hand lightly in his own and Eva wondered at the difference in them.

His hands were large and rough, years of callouses covering his palms and fingertips from hard labor while hers were much smaller than his and mainly smooth. Someone with hands like his worked for everything they had while she had mostly had things fall into place for her. His fear of the British was understandable when considering the things they had done to him and she must bring out some of that fear with her accent and mannerisms.

"Jamie," She spoke softly looking into his eyes. "I don't know how many times I can say it, or what I have to do to prove it but I'm not an English spy." He opened his mouth to interrupt but she silenced him with a look. "I was brought here against my will, forced to stay when all I wanted was to get home, and now I'm working with a man who thinks I'm about as useless as nipples on a breastplate." He laughed at this. "I've tried to be kind and roll with the punches here, but there are times like yesterday when someone says things and it just reminds me how alone I am here and how much of a burden I have been. It really hurts when that happens, and I don't know how to fix it; I don't know what else I can do!" Tears brimmed in her eyes and Jamie wrapped her in his arms.

"Ye don't have to do anything, lass." He rubbed her back soothingly. "Ye've changed fer us and now it's time we change for you." He pulled away and pulled out his dagger, slicing it across his hand and going to one knee in front of her. He ignored Eva's cry of surprise and wiped the blood on the blade of his dagger. "I hereby swear that I will not harm ye with either my words or actions. Should I unlawfully bring harm to ye may this dagger pierce my flesh." Jamie then kissed the blade and looked at her expectantly.

"Oh!" She was startled realizing that she was supposed to respond. "I accept your vow." Jamie nodded and stood smiling. "Now let me look at that hand before it gets infected!" Jamie followed her over to one of the cleaner tables where she applied a poultice and wrapped a clean linen bandage over the wound which had stopped bleeding. "There, all set."

"Thank ye, sassenach." Jamie said softly and she looked into his eyes.

"Your welcome, Sawney," Jamie grinned at the slang term for 'scotsman' and his eyes crinkled in amusement. The two continued to stand close to one another, looking into each other's eyes. Slowly their foreheads moved closer together until they were resting upon one another. Eva was not sure who moved closer first but before she could blink her lips were upon his own.

Like everything else about Jamie his lips were both soft while being rough, and warm and comforting like his embrace. The two lightly pressed their lips together not moving, but Eva wanted more. She began to move her lips against his own, encouraging him to continue. Jamie took her lead and opened her own mouth to his prodding her with his tongue and her responding in kind.

The two were so embroiled in their embrace that they did not hear the door open and did not realize they were no longer alone until an amused sounding cough broke them apart. Standing at the bottom of the staircase was a grinning Davie Beaton looking amused, if not a little tired from his long journey back from the village. "Sorry to interrupt but Jamie, Colum is looking for ye." Jamie nodded and squeezed a blushing Eva's shoulder in farewell before climbing up the stairs and leaving the master and his apprentice alone. "I see ye made some progress in cleaning up," He remarked looking around the surgery in amusement.

"Yes," Eva cleared her throat and tried to get her breathing under control. While she had kissed many other men before none had ever made her react so primitively as Jamie had. "All of the tools have been disinfected and I was just about to work on the tables when Mr. McTavish came to speak with me." She explained.

"Speak is it?" He chuckled and Eva blushed an even deeper scarlet. "Well if that is what ye wish to call it I shall not contest it." He picked up one of the bottles of alcohol and took a hearty swig. "I'll help ye clean the rest up and then ye can have the rest of the day to yerself." Eva nodded in thanks and picked up her own bottle of alcohol and a rag and began washing down the tables once again.

After Davie Beaton and Eva had finished cleaning the surgery he dismissed her from his service claiming that he was feeling tired and wanted to rest. Eva did as he asked and went to find Jamie which she did in the kitchens. She waited in the doorway watching him laugh with Mrs. Fitz who playfully slapped his hand away as he reached for a bannock. He took it anyway, taking a bite and giving Mrs. Fitz a kiss on the cheek. Eva smiled seeing the gesture; it was clear that while Jamie had not grown up at Castle Leoch the matron of the castle looked at him as her own and loved him dearly.

Mrs. Fitz saw Eva standing at the door and motioned her head towards her so that Jamie would turn and look. He smiled upon seeing her and the two walked from the kitchens splitting the bannock he had filched from the kitchens. The two walked outside, taking a turn around the gardens chatting about nonsense and nothing of importance until Eva brought up the courage to ask him what she really sought him out for.

"Jamie I have a question," She started as she sat on a bench. He sat next to her and nodded for her to continue. "I know what happened yesterday was a scary experience for you and I wish it never happened but I was only wondering if," She began to wring her hands together in nervousness until Jamie clasped them in his own.

"Ye want to know if ye can continue to ride?" She nodded, embarrassed.

"I just had so much fun until the redcoats came and it was so nice to get away from the Castle for a little. If it isn't possible I completely understand, but even you said yourself that the British never come this far and Colum said it wasn't likely that they would come again." Jamie nodded, considering her proposal.

"Well, I can't say I'm thrilled about the idea but if ye enjoy it so much I'll speak with Colum and see what he says."

"Oh thank you, Jamie!" Eva flung her arms around him and kissed him quickly on the lips. She was so happy that there was a possibility she could continue to master riding a horse and spend time outside of the Castle walls. Jamie smiled in return and kissed her back.

Jamie had gotten the all-clear from Colum to continue teaching Eva how to ride a horse and the two took advantage of it almost daily. After doing her chores in the surgery Davie Beaton would dismiss her. She would then go in search of Jamie and after he finished his own chores the two would go to the stables, tack their horses, and go on rides, frequently to the meadow they had been to the first time they went on a ride. Eva was slowly getting more comfortable on Sarosa and had mastered trotting and had just begun to learn how to canter. Jamie had been infinitely patient with her, teaching her all she needed to know about horses and their care.

It was a rare sunny day and the two were laying out in the meadow together, the horses tied to a nearby tree. Jamie was laying his head in Eva's lap as she ran her fingers through his hair gently and the two spoke about their interests, dislikes, and life before meeting each other. Eva had come to crave these rides as it meant uninterrupted time with Jamie and conversations with someone who did not look upon her with suspicion or contempt. In the back of her mind, though, was always the thought that she needed to leave eighteenth century Scotland and return to her own time. Despite this thought being present, Eva had not done anything to act on it.

"Tell me about your brother, Willie." She said softly and Jamie smiled with his eyes closed.

"He was a great brother. He always cared fer me and Jenny and was the first one to teach me how to ride a horse. Jenny got jealous and wanted to come along with us but we wouldn'a let her. So after we rode out she got a horse of her own and managed to get it out of the stables. The girl had never been on a horse on her own but managed to get it into the woods trying to follow us. Well, she must have gotten lost because when we returned Jenny was nowhere in sight. My da went out looking fer her and found her about two miles from the farm, sitting in the mud and crying.

"The horse got spooked ye ken, and threw her. She wasn'a hurt but scared and lost. So she did the smart thing and instead of trying to find her way back sat there until someone found her. When my da brought her back he was so angry at all three of us," Jamie smiled at the memory. "That night he hit all three of us on our bums and sent us to bed without supper. Willie and me for ignoring Jenny, and Jenny for following us out there and worrying everyone."

"Your dad hit you?" Eva asked in shock and Jamie opened his eyes looking at her curiously.

"Aye, of course. Yours didn't?" Eva shook her head.

"He wouldn't dare! Where I'm from discipline isn't something that is done with physical punishment. He would scold me of course, and sometimes make me sit out on something fun or enjoyable. But never would he have hit me!" Jamie nodded, thinking it over.

"Seems odd, not being hit by yer parents. My mother got a few good wacks in over the years too." Eva looked at him shocked. "It was never excessive or for something I didna deserve. I always knew why it was happening and I was less likely to ever do it again." He explained. "Do not fash yerself, sassenach. I turned out alright," He grinned and kissed her lightly, distracting her from her thoughts. The two were caught up in each other but when hoofbeats sounded they broke apart, nervousness playing across Jamie's features. The same four redcoats as before rode into the clearing and stopped in front of them.

"Madam," The leader spoke taking off his hat and bowing his head to her. "I apologize for the intrusion. My name is Lieutenant Jacob Astor. My commander has requested your presence at Fort William. I must ask you to come with me." He held his hand out for her to take but she did not move.

"Why? Have I done something wrong?" Jacob Astor shook his head slightly, smiling kindly at her.

"Of course not, Madam. I simply relayed my meeting of you to him and he was most intrigued. He wants to meet you himself and asked that I come fetch you." Jamie stood in front of her protectively and shook his head.

"She'll no' be going anywhere with the likes of you," He sneered. Jacob Astor ordered him to stand down and when Jamie did not, the Lieutenant aimed a pistol at Jamie's head.

"I recommend that you stand down, my good man," The man's voice was threatening and Eva had no doubt that that the Lieutenant would shoot Jamie if he felt the need.

"Stop!" Eva cried and stood in front of Jamie. "I will go with you. But I must insist that I be returned to Castle Leoch as soon as possible!" Lieutenant Astor nodded.

"But of course, madam. Now come with us." Eva held up a finger, signalling for him to wait and turned to Jamie.

"You canna go with them, Eva. You don't know what they are capable of! They could kill ye or worse!" His eyes were desperate.

"I'll be fine, Jamie. I'm British, they won't hurt me. If I go and meet with this captain then hopefully he will just leave us alone and we can put all of this behind us." She kissed him one last time before taking Lieutenant Astors hand and mounting his horse behind him. She the small patrol of redcoats rode away she looked back and Jamie who looked stricken and torn as to what he should do.


	7. Chapter 7

**Authors Note: Hello everyone! This chapter and the next will be fairly heavy with dialouge from the show, so I apologize. I don't like doing that too often because this is a somewhat 'original' story and I am not trying to simply place Eva in Claire's position and have everything that happened to Claire happen to Eva. However, some of the story will be extremely similar. Thank you to all who reviewed, again, they make me smile!**

 **kitcat12: Eva will make friends outside of Jamie, and that subplot will be developed within the next few chapters so watch out for that! I'm glad you are enjoying the story!**

 **Guest: Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad you are enjoying the story and I hope you continue to!**

 **Mia: I hope this Black Jack and Eva encounter lives up to your hopes!**

Chapter Seven: Beautiful Lies

Eva rode on the back of Lieutenant Astors mare for what seemed like forever. Fort William was much further away than she had originally thought and she was getting tired. Her thighs were sore from the long ride and she was certain her bum was bruised as well. As the sun was going down the impressive fort loomed through the trees. It had huge stone walls with an open field spreading out amongst the garrison. It made a secretive approach next to impossible and a guard spotted their party almost immediately and called to his master.

As they approached the gate the portcullis raised on squeaky chains and they passed through. Eva looked around in abject horror; the courtyard was filled with mud very similarly to the one at Castle Leoch, but where the castle was filled with the sounds and smells of home and laughter, Fort William smelled of death and despair. As she continued to look around her eyes laid on the gallows and a tall post which sat on a raised platform. A serving girl was scrubbing the floor of the platform with a brush and water. As she rinsed out the brush the water running from it was a pale red; blood. It must have been there that Jamie had been flogged all those years ago.

Bile rose in her throat but she managed to choke it down and follow behind Lieutenant Astor as they entered the building. The halls were cool and damp, lined with stones and torches to light the way.

Lieutenant Astor and Eva were just about to walk up the stairs when a familiar Scottish voice sounded behind them. "Stop right there!" Eva spun around and saw Dougal striding towards them several redcoats trying to keep up and stop him. "What is the meaning of this? The girl is under the protection of Clan MacKenzie and should not have been removed from our custody without permission of the laird." Eva looked at Dougal with surprise and relief. If Dougal was here, surely Jamie had told him and asked to get her out of the place. He must have galloped nearly the entire way from Castle Leoch in order to catch up to them.

"She may be under your protection, but she is first and foremost a British subject. My commanding officer wishes to speak with her and has ordered her to appear here." Lieutenant Astor spoke haughtily.

"Where the girl goes, I go," Dougal lowered his voice and glared at the soldier with malice in his eyes. Eva could quickly see the situation escalating and stepped forward, placing her hand gently on Dougals arm.

"Now children, let's all play nicely. Dougal I would be honored if you were to escort me along with this fine gentleman." She said this last part to Lieutenant Astor who beamed with pride at the compliment and puffed out his chest. Eva pleaded with Dougal with her eyes to accept her proposition so that they could leave as quickly as possible.

They walked up a flight of stairs and entered a room which Eva was surprised to see was filled with dining redcoats and was nicely furnished. Although the walls were still stone there was a fire merrily crackling in the hearth and a table set with fine dinnerware. Candles burned to illuminate the room and the smells wafting over to Eva were simply heavenly. "My lord may I present Miss Eva Burrach and Mister Dougal-"

"Ah," Eva looked over as a thin man strode over with a wide smile on his face. He looked young, with a boyish face and bright blue eyes. "Come in, come in! This a most enjoyable surprise. It has been _far_ too long since i last gazed upon a lovely English rose." The man kissed Eva's hand in greeting and she smiled at him. "You must be absolutely famished! I hope venison is to your liking," He helped Eva in his seat. "Only the very best quality, I assure you. I shot the beast myself; it's a great country for hunting." Eva smiled in response and looked over her shoulder at Dougal for help. She was extremely out of her element and had no idea what she should say. The man snapped his fingers for food to be brought over to Eva and looked at where her gaze currently was.

"Now, Lieutenant Astor who is this noble Scottish gentleman?" Lieutenant Astor nodded and stepped forward with pride.

"My Lord, may I present Dougal MacKenzie, war chief to the Clan MacKenzie and brother to its Laird." He then turned to Dougal. "You have the honor of meeting Brigadier General Sir Oliver Lord Thomas, Knight of the Bath and commanding officer of the Northern British Army."

"War chief, eh?" Sir Thomas said grinning. "You certainly look the part." He chuckled lightly.

"A fine specimen of the local inhabitants, my lord." A man at the table spoke out. The word 'specimen' made Eva flinch slightly. Dougal, while not her favorite person was certainly not a specimen to be gawked at like an animal on display at the zoo.

"And how am I to address you, sir?" Sir Thomas asked. Dougal looked at him.

"Ye kin call me MacKenzie if in it please ye, or if we're being formal ye can call me Chief MackEnzie, which in matters of war an' bicker leave us ower fae each other as equals dinnae y eken." Eva smiled slightly at Dougals response. While he was definitely not her favorite inhabitant of Castle Leoch his honesty and bluntness could be refreshing at times such as these.

The redcoats sitting around the table seemed to have missed Douglas point because they looked amongst themselves in confusion, clearly questioning what he had said.

"I don't know about the rest of you but I failed to understand a single word the creature said." Sir Thomas said with a jeer and the men laughed heartily. Dougal remained composed but Eva's cheeks flushed with anger at the comment at her companions expense.

"I believe," The second redcoat spoke up again. "My Lord, he was attempting to say 'Chief MacKenzie' would be acceptable. There was more but I must confess, it alluded me." The man's companions chuckled at that and again Eva felt her cheeks grow hot.

"Really?" Sir Thomas spoke and walked along the table. "Someone really ought to teach these people the King's English."

"I believe he is speaking his form of English, sir." Lieutenant Astor spoke from near the door.

"Well it's a form that's damn offensive to the ear," Lord Thomas said taking his seat.

Eva tried to keep quiet but found she could not take these men joking about Dougal and his accent any longer. "May I remind you, Lord Thomas, there are parts in England, Newcastle come to mind, where the local accent is equally unintelligible to our ears." The men surrounding the table gave Eva a surprised look but Lord Thomas just smiled and picked up his glass.

"Quite right. You make a fine point, madam. The world would make a lot more sense if everybody just spoke like Londoners."

"If ye wish to hear Londoners speak, perhaps ye should have stayed in London." Eva closed her eyes as Dougal insulted the Brigadier General once again.

"My Lord, he says-"

"No need, Lieutenant. I understood him perfectly well that time." Clearly, Dougals mission to insult the Brigadier General had succeeded. "I would be more than happy to oblige, sir, if only you lot behaved like the loyal British subjects you're supposed to be." As he spoke, Lord Thomas rose from his seat and began stalking towards Dougal, much like a lion stalking a gazelle. "That way my troops and I could return to more civilized environs." He was extremely close to Dougal now and Eva noticed his cheeks had gone red from embarrassment. A pregnant silence filled the room, the tension thick until Lord Thomas spoke once again.

"I must say though, I quite enjoy being a man in the field. If only my servants moved as quickly as my soldiers." He chuckled at his joke. "If I stay here long enough, I could become a Laird. Laird Thomas! What do you think, all?" He made a grand gesture and his fellow redcoats laughed into their goblets. "Only then I suppose I'd have to wear one of those woolen skirts." Lord Thomas was quickly making his way back towards his own seat, gleeful in seeming to have beaten out Dougal in their verbal sparring match. "Oh, I'm told it's a grave insult to ask a clansman what he wears underneath that thing-"

"It's called a kilt, sir." The same man who had been interpreting for Lord Thomas all night interjected.

"I know perfectly well what it's called, Lieutenant." Lord Thomas snipped. "So tell me, one _Laird_ to another-"

"Are ye trying to embarrass the lass," Dougal interrupted before the British Lord could ask one of the most offensive questions he could. "Or are ye just an arrogant wee smout?" Eva quickly picked up her napkin and coughed into it to disguise her giggle at Dougals response.

"Good Christ, man. Do you know to whom you speak?" One man at the table said in shock and Eva lowered her napkin. Apparently none of the redcoats found Dougals insult as amusing as she did.

"You watch your words, sir, or I'll have you-"

Dougal interrupted Lieutenant Astor whose hand had fallen on his sword. "Well, you pull that needle, and we'll see who pricks who." Lieutenant Astor went to unsheath his sword and Eva felt that she needed to interrupt.

"Dougal, Lieutenant, enough. You're both behaving like children, _again_." She said the last part quietly so that only they could hear her.

"Yes, yes, quite right. Quite right." Lord Thomas spoke. "The lady's sense of propriety puts us all to shame. The question of the kilt will remain an enigma." Dougal rolled his eyes. "My word, madam." Lord Thomas spoke again. "If I were brave enough I would commission you a colonel in one of my regiments. You do know how to order men about." Eva smiled at his grinning face.

"Aye, she does that at times," Dougal said quietly and Lord Thomas glared at him.

"Well, it's been a _delight_ meeting you, but I'm afraid the venison is losing its heat. I would ask you to join us, but as you can see, there's no room." He clicked his tongue in victory for having won the verbal sparring that had started as soon as Dougal and Eva had entered the room. Dougal just looked at him with a stiff smile that did not reach his eyes.

"Ye can keep your scraps," He then looked at Eva. "I'll be downstairs." Eva nodded and watched him walk out the room, suddenly feeling quite alone as the last friendly face left her.

"How are we ever going to make peace with such an ill-mannered people?" Lord Thomas sighed as the door shut. Eva resisted the impulse to roll her eyes and instead smiled politely as Lord Thomas took his seat.

"So my Lord Thomas, is it interesting commanding Fort William?" Eva asked as the food was served and the redcoats began digging into their food.

"Pardon? I'm not sure I understand what you mean, madam." Lord Thomas took a sip of his wine and Eva followed suit.

"Well, when Lieutenant Astor brought me here he said the commander of Fort William wanted to meet me. I assumed it was you." The men laughed once again and Eva blushed. "Pardon me, it seems I have made an error." She said stiffly taking another sip of her wine.

"Oh no, madam. The error is mine for not properly introducing myself to you. I am the commander of the garrison leader here. You see, this _dump_ is far below my station. Unfortunately part of my duties are visiting each post under my command."

Eva nodded. "Forgive me then, sir. I can see how a place such as this is far to low for a man of your pedigree."

"There is nothing to forgive, madam. Now tell me, how did you come to be in the custody of Clan MacKenzie?" Eva relayed her story as accurately as she could leaving out key details like the fact that she was really from the twenty-first century. She told much the same tale she had to Colum MacKenzie; that she had fallen and hit her head but could remember little more than she was from Inverness and lived with an Uncle.

She then described the long journey to Castle Leoch and how she had been injured but nursed back to health by the kind residents there and was currently working in the surgery under a master healer. She made sure not to mention Jamie in any form for fear they would somehow know whom she was talking about and storm Castle Leoch to take him hostage and kill him.

"My word, madam. You've had the most mesmerizing adventure," Lord Thomas said once she had finished her tale.

"Yes indeed," Eva smiled. "But having been brought here and having met all of you charming gentlemen, I do hope that my adventure is now over." Eva was hoping that while she had not found the courage to sneak away from Castle Leoch,perhaps these redcoats could be persuaded to escort her to the standing stones of Craig na Dun. While she was content at Castle Leoch, she missed her Uncle Edmond terribly as well as many of the luxuries of modern life, such as hot showers, gas stoves, and microwaves.

"Oh yes," Lord Thomas grinned. "I would have thought you've had quite enough of Scotland."

"In truth I found the countryside most beautiful, my stay not altogether unpleasant," Eva felt the need to defend the Scots of Clan MacKenzie. "But my greatest wish now is to be reunited with my Uncle in Inverness.

"Yes." Lord Thomas replied. "Lieutenant Astor I imagine it would not be difficult to escort Mistress Burrach to Inverness where she might be reunited with her Uncle?"

"No difficulty at all, sir." The Lieutenant smiled at Eva and she could not help but smile back. For the first time since she had arrived in eighteenth century Scotland it felt that she had a real chance of making it back to her own time.

"Oh I would be forever grateful!" Eva smiled widely at the thought of being reunited with her Uncle.

"It's a trifle, madam. You have my word on it," Said Lord Thomas. Eva could not keep the smile off her face for she was so happy at the prospect of returning to her Uncle and her own time. Even the grimy bar she had worked at to help put herself through college seemed appealing at this point!

"To homeward journeys," Lord Thomas spoke as someone filled Eva's glass. "May they be uneventful." Eva smiled and raised her own glass in a cheers, before bringing it to her lips and drinking it.

The door suddenly opened and in stepped a handsome man in a redcoat uniform with long hair tied at the nape of his neck in a ponytail.

"Good god man, are we under attack?" Lord Thomas looked quite upset by the intrusion and covering his wine.

"No?" The man looked confused.

"Then why are you intruding wit half a leagues worth of dust upon your person? You're putting the claret at risk! I suggest you step outside and rid yourself of the dust!"

"By all means, we must protect the claret," The man said in a sarcastic tone and shot Eva a look before he noisily stomped his boots upon the doorframe to rid himself of any dust that would compromise Lord Thomas's claret.

As he reentered Lord Thomas spoke, "Now, what was so urgent, captain?"

"Are you aware that at this very moment, Dougal MacKenzie, war chief of Clan MacKenzie is standing at the base of the stairs?" Lord Thomas looked frustrated.

"That's no surprise, Captain; it was he who brought Miss Burrach to us!" He motioned to Eva. "Madam Eva Burrach, may I introduce Captain Jonathan Randall, commander here at Fort William." Eva looked over the man with wide eyes suddenly realizing whom he was. She wasn't sure why she had not connected the dots before but this was the man who was responsible for raping Jamie's sister, Jenny and beating Jamie twice within a week. The venison she had previously eaten mad a mad dash back up her esophagus and tried to leave her mouth but Eva managed to choke it down while staring at the Captian.

"So this is the girl being held by the Scots? Charmed." He said tightly, implying he was anything but.

"Why a Scottish warchief and an English lady? I can't for the life of me piece that together."

"Oh it's a fascinating tale," Lord Thomas spoke. "It's full of robbery and murder. It's unfortunate you missed it." Eva looked down at her plate.

"I'm sure it is. You will have to regale it to me sometime." Captain Randall said.

"It would be my pleasure," She said softly taking another sip of her wine.

"No, gentlemen," Randall spoke. "I know you rank higher than me but I do command this garrison. I would be most interested to speak with Miss Burrach alone." Eva's stomach sunk. She was not sure she could handle being alone with him without the comfort of Lord Thomas and the other redcoats.

"Yes, yes, of course. It is time for me to leave this godforsaken dump," Lord Thomas said, standing and throwing his napkin down. The redcoats raised from their seats and bowed to Eva, leaving her alone with the Captain.

Eva's chest rose with frequency that matched her breathing. Captain Randall slowly walked around the table until he took a seat where Lord Thomas had previously occupied.

"I hope, madam that we can be honest with one another. That my true nature will be revealed to you and honesty will be met with honesty.

"My honesty will meet yours," Eva said softly. She was beginning to feel faint, the straps and boning of her corset only increasing the feeling.

"Well then, Miss Burrach please tell me how you came to be a guest of the Clan MacKenzie."

"I was walking just outside of Inverness when I got impossibly lost. Before I knew it it was dark and I fell down a hill, hitting my head." Captain Randall was rubbing a piece of charcoal onto a discarded napkin as Eva repeated her tale. "When I awoke it was morning and Dougal MacKenzie and some of his companions had found me. They brought me back to Castle Leoch where I could rest and get better."

The silence that filled the room was palpable and Eva was nervous that Randall would not believe her tale. "Please," He motioned her over to look at the napkin. "I would be interested in your opinion."

Eva slowly got up and walked over. On the napkin was a crude drawing of Eva. While the eyes were a little more harshly drawn than her actually were, but it was impossible to mistake the girl in the drawing as being anyone other than Eva.

"You captured my likeness," Eva said softly.

"You think so?" Randall replied. "I'm glad. I shall call it, _Beautiful Lies_. I have looked and there are no Burrachs residing in Inverness." Eva's eyes went wide. "So tell me, my dear Miss Burrach, what are you really doing with the Clan MacKenzie." Eva looked at him in confusion.

"I know that Dougal MacKenzie is raising funds for the Jacobite cause; I merely lack the necessary proof to take him into custody. You will provide me with that proof."

"Jacobite cause?" The term resonated deep within Eva's memory but she could not remember the significance of it. She was mentally kicking herself for not paying closer attention to her Uncle's historical rants or his history lessons in school.

"Do not stand there and pretend that you have lived among the MacKenzies for the past several months and have not heard them voice support for that failure James and his witless son Charles."

"MIster MacKenzie would have to be witless indeed to discuss treason in front of an English woman. They don't trust me at Castle Leoch, I have not heard any Jacobite sympathies."

"You have not heard a single MacKenzie speak Jacobite treason?" It was clear that Randall did not believe Eva, despite the fact that she was actually telling the truth.

"How many times must I say it?" She asked desperately.

Randall just looked at her with contempt in his eyes. "I would not believe you if you told me that night is dark and day is bright." Eva had heard enough.

"Captain, am I under arrest? Because if not then i refuse to submit further to this interrogation; I will be leaving." She went to move towards the door but before she could blink Randall was in front of her.

"You will not leave this room until I am convinced you are as innocent as you claim to be." He grasped her arm and forcibly sat her in a chair. "Either you will cooperate with me, or I shall be forced to use methods less pleasant than talk."

"I've heard about your methods, _captian_ ," She spat at him. "What would you do, lay my back open to the bone?" He looked at her as he took a seat across from her.

"If that is what it took, yes."

The two sat, staring at each other and Eva's mind was racing. How could she get herself out out this one? It seemed that there was nothing she could do to get herself out of this unfortunate situation.

"What would it take for me to convince you that I do not have any knowledge of the Jacobite cause or any raising of funds?" She asked, her voice cracking.

"Well," He paused. "You could give yourself to me." Eva blanched at that.

"W-what?"

"Give yourself to me. Surely a MacKenzie whore like yourself should have no problem spreading her legs for an englishman?" Eva shook her head furiously.

"You go too far, sir! I am no whore and I will not sleep with you!" She was furious and saw something flash in Randall's eyes.

"Of course, my deepest sympathies. It seems I have forgotten myself, being out of a proper lady's company for so long. Please, forgive me," He pleaded earnestly and Eva nodded her head suspiciously. "I will escort you to Inverness where you may then go wherever it is you wish to travel." He strode over to Eva's chair. "Corporal Hawkings," He called out and the door opened, a young man entering the room. "Miss Burrach and i require your assistance."

He held out his hand to help Eva from her chair and she took it hesitantly. Something didn't seem quite right but she would not question it if he would take her to Inverness. "Captain Randall, you have my deepest gra-" The remainder of her sentence was cut off as Randall punched her in the stomach causing the breath to escape her and for her to double over his arm.

Eva fell to the floor gasping for breath and trying to regain her composure when Randall strode over and gripped her hair, pulling her up once again. "I don't care what you say, you are a whore. I will discover your secrets before I am done with you. One way or the other, I will get the truth out of you," Eva continued gasping, this time in fear as well as necessity. "Corporal," Randall spoke and the young man walked over slowly, shock in his face. "Have you ever kicked a woman?"

"Sir?"

Randall threw Eva down on the ground where she tried to make herself as small of a target as she could, a task made very difficult by the voluminous gowns she was wearing.

"It's, ah, it's very freeing," Randall said with a sick smile. "Come on," He motioned for the corporal and nodded for him to kick Eva who continued gasping on the floor. The corporal looked as if he would soon be sick or cry and looked at Randall whor eturned his frightened gaze with a steely one. The corporal lightly kicked Eva and she was grateful that he was trying to inflict as little harm on her as possible. "I said kick her, milksop." Randall sneered. "Kick her!"

The corporal wound his leg back and shot it into Eva's abdomen, forcing her to cough out once again and tears to fill her eyes. "Again," The corporal went to kick Eva once more but the door opened loudly and Dougal strode in angily.

Captain Randall seemed more put out than anything at his 'interrogation' having been interrupted. "I don't recall requesting your presence." Dougal ignored him and stomped over to where Eva was lying on the floor, glaring at the corporal who quickly retreated. Dougal bent down to Eva and helped her up.

"Up ye come, lassie. Yer done here," Eva stood with his help and leaned heavily on his shoulder in support.

"You have no right to that woman, not while she's being questioned by a British officer." Randall was smirking.

"She is a guest of Clan MacKenzie," Dougal stated, trying to protect her.

"She is an English subject first."

"And she was brought here for fear she was being held prisoner by my brother. Now she will have assured ye that is not the case, and by right, must be returned to me and my protection," Eva was grateful for Dougal trying to defend her but was afraid it was all for naught. Randall seemed determined to break Eva and keep her within the walls of Fort William.

"I'm afraid further questions have arisen." Randall said simply.

"Oh, well ye won't be asking them on MacKenzie land. Not unless you want to start a war." Eva looked up in fear and Randall simply chuckled.

"I suppose we're done for the day. Be sure to bring her back by sundown tomorrow for further questioning. If she is not delivered by the appointed time you will accused of harboring a fugitive from English law, and you'll be punished, even unto the death." Dougal simply glared at Randall's smirking face, before gathering Eva into his arms and taking her from the awful room and terrible Fort William. Tears continued to stream down her face in pain, shock, and fear. How would Dougal manage to keep her from Randall's clutches?

 **Please review! :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors note: Hello all! I'm on a roll with updating lately, but this will most likely be the last for a few days! This chapter does contain some mild smut, but I want to warn all of you that this was my first time writing it. I apologize if it is all that great. Please enjoy and don't forget to review!**

 **Also, I'm still looking for a beta so if anyone is interested please PM me!**

Chapter Eight: The wedding

The last thing Eva wanted to do was ride at a full gallop after receiving several kicks in the stomach from Captain Randall and Corporal Hawkings. But her desire to rid Fort William from her sight outweighed any discomfort she was feeling.

Her and Dougal continued to ride as hard as the horses would permit them to and were coming down a hill when Eva sighed in relief. Just ahead of them was a tavern; it was small and dingy but the happy cheers coming from inside and the rising smoke from the chimney promised safety and a welcoming environment.

The two rode next to the stables and Dougal helped her down from her horse, handing the reins over to a stable boy. As they approached the door to the inn several forms that were sitting outside of the door stood as they noticed Dougal and Eva. Standing there was Murtagh, Rupert, Angus, Jamie, and another man from Clan MacKenzie she did not recognize.

"Are ye alright, lass?" Jamie rushed towards her and held her in his arms. Eva cried a few tears as she entered his warm embrace.

"Yes, yes I'm alright." She nodded. Jamie looked at Dougal questioningly.

"What happened to her?" Rupert asked quietly looking at Eva's shaking form.

"Captain Randall had her." Jamie stiffened at the name. "Was trying to extract information from the lass in a less than pleasant manner. I stopped it, but he's insisting she be returned to Fort William tomorrow." Dougal explained.

"What were they questioning ye about, lass?" Rupert asked and Eva released herself from Jaime's embrace.

"They wanted to know if I had heard anything resembling treason while at Castle Leoch. I told him that I didn't but he didn't believe me. He was trying to kick the truth out of me when Dougal arrived." Eva explained, her voice slowly steadying as she relayed her tale.

"Well we canna allow the lass back into that bastards hands!" Angus said loudly. "He'll kill her!"

"She won't have to see him ever again," Dougal said simply and they all looked at him in question. "Not if she does what I tell her."

Eva raised an eyebrow and slowly faced Dougal. "But you have to bring me to Fort William tomorrow."

"An English officer cannot compel a Scottish person, unless there is proof a crime has been committed. And even so, they cannot force a Scottish subject from clan lands without permission from the Laird concerned." Dougal explained.

"I don't understand," Eva said softly.

"I can only legally refuse to hand ye back to Randall if I change ye from an Englishwoman into a Scot." He said simply.

"Into a Scot? How do you propose to do that?" Eva said still confused.

Dougal nodded. "The only way I can do that is for you to marry one." Eva's eyes widened in shock.

"No! No, I cannot do that! What about my family? What about my Uncle?" Eva protested.

"Would ye rather return to Fort William? I can guarantee ye the dungeons are not nearly as nice as the room ye were in today."

Eva began pacing in front of the men. "What about my Uncle? You would have me forsake him?"

"Lass, think about it. If ye don't do this ye will never see yer Uncle again," Murtagh said in a gentle tone. "That I can guarantee ye. If ye marry a Scot ye at least have a chance." Eva nodded in understanding, still not liking the option.

"Well who would I have to marry?"

An hour later Eva was sitting behind the stables reading over the marriage contract when she heard footsteps approaching. She looked up and saw Jamie approaching with two cups and a flask in his hand. "So we are to be married?" She asked softly looking up at him.

"Aye, seems that way." He nodded taking a seat next to her.

"But why? Why are you willing to marry me? I'm just a _Sassenach_."

"Well," Jamie said. "Ye've listened to my story and ye didna judge me. Ye've been a dear friend and companion to me. I feel I owe ye something for all that. Besides, what kind of friend would I be to leave ye to that mad bastard Randall?" He asked and clinked his cup against hers, swigging it. "And," He looked over at her grinning. "Yer a vera good kisser." Eva suddenly laughed and Jamie smiled, pulling her into his arms.

"But what about someone else? A Scot? Someone else you're interested in?" Eva asked pulling away.

"I'll not lie to ye, Eva. I'm not much of a prospect fer a wife. I've nothing more to live on than a soldier's pay, and there's the minor difficulty of having a price on my head. No man would allow his daughter to marry someone that could be arrested at anytime." Eva nodded at his explanation.

"Well, I guess marriage it is then." Jamie smiled and kissed her on the forehead, getting up to leave. "Wait, Jamie!" He turned around and looked at her. "Before you completely agree to this there is something you should know." He nodded for her to continue and she took a deep breath. "I-I'm not a," She paused. "I'm not a virgin." He looked at her in mild shock. Eva knew that virtue was something highly prized in this time and that Jamie may decide he did not want a tainted wife. "You see where I come from, it isn't necessary. Some people still wait until they are married but a lot don't. It isn't seen as something bad or scandalous. Does that bother you?"

"Were ye forced?" He asked and Eva shook her head. "Well, then no." He suddenly looked nervous. "As long as it doesn't bother you that I am." Eva looked at him in shock. She had never thought that he would still be a virgin, especially with his handsome looks and deep eyes.

He suddenly bent down and smiled, whispering, "I reckon one of us should ken what they're doing." Eva smiled up at him and he winked, walking away in order to prepare for the wedding.

The next morning Eva awoke early to the sound of the door opening. The matron of the inn entered the room smiling. "Up ye get, lassie! It's yer wedding day!" There had been only one room left in the inn and Eva had taken it, with Jamie sleeping outside the door to ensure she did not receive any unwanted visitors during the night. Tonight, however, he would be sleeping inside the room as Eva's husband, while the rest of the men slept in the stables or within the dining room where they would surely pass out from drunkenness.

The portly woman ushered Eva out of bed and sat her in a chair near the fireplace, quickly shoving a bowl of warm broth into her hands. Eva was feeling quite nauseous as she realized exactly what would be occurring later in the day. The inn keeper quickly brushed through Eva's curls and tied them up into an intricate bun.

The woman tore the cup of broth from Evas hands before she could finish and stood her up. She quickly placed a new shift over Eva's body, before adding the skirts, corset, and dress top. When she was finished Eva looked at herself in the mirror and was astonished to see herself. The gown was lovely; cream colored with pale blue embroidery and flowers adorning it. Eva truly felt like a princess.

She was escorted down the to fields by Murtagh and waited for Jamie to come. As he stepped out of the inn Eva was astonished to see how handsome he looked. His hair was nicely combed back in a way she had never seen it. He was wearing a new coat and a kilt she had never seen before.

Jamie walked up to her and bowed deeply to her, standing and motioning for her to do the same. "I can't marry you," Eva said in a sudden panic. "I don't even know your real name!"

Jamie simply chuckled and grinned at her. "James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser."

"Eva Marie Burrach." Jamie smiled and took her hand, leading her to the church. They stood together before the priest and linked hands. When it came time for the vows, Eva's breath caught in her throat.

"I, James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser, take thee, Eva Marie Burrach, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forth, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death us do part." Jamie said first. Eva repeated her vows, and Jamie placed a ring on the priests Bible. He quickly blessed it before Jamie picked it up and slid it on Eva's finger. It was surprisingly light and cool on her skin and Eva was admiring its simplistic design when Dougal stepped up to the alter, taking Jamies dagger and hand. He quickly made a shallow cut along both Jamie and Eva's wrists, connecting them and tying them together with a piece of cloth. Eva was shocked, for she had not been expecting this to occur.

"Say the words after me," Jamie whispered and Eva nodded. He spoke the words loudly and clearly in gaelic for her, and she repeated them after him. When they had finished the priest spoke.

"You may kiss your bride." Jamie took a step forward and kissed her deeply. It had happened. Eva was married.

Jamie entered the room while Eva was staring into the flames. He had lost his coat that he wore during the ceremony but was still wearing his kilt, boots, and white shirt. "Sounds like the wedding party is still going strong," Eva remarked as the joyous music from below filtered into the room. "I don't suppose they'll be going to bed anytime soon?"

"No," Jamie remarked. "Not until they know we've made things...official." Eva blushed at the thought of all those people below listening to her and Jamie consummating their marriage.

"I suppose I should be grateful they didn't want to watch, the dirty voyeurs." Eva scoffed.

"Only Rupert," Eva looked over at Jamie with wide eyes. "And Angus," He added as an afterthought. Eva just kept staring at him until he broke into a smile. "Just a joke, lass." Eva sighed in relief. The two looked at each other in awkward silence. Although Eva had sex before, it was never with her husband, and was never with so many people listening in.

"Would you like a drink?" She asked.

"Aye, good idea." Jamie nodded. Eva stood and walked over to a small table where a bottle of wine was sitting with two glasses. She filled both and handed one over to Jamie.

"To a woman who is incredibly kind, a woman with a pure heart, and a woman who makes a most stunning bride," Jamie said in a toast. "My bride; Eva Fraser." The two clinked glasses and drank. While Jamie took a sip of his, Eva downed her entire glass, refilling it and drinking another.

"Are ye okay, lass?" Jamie asked, concern in his voice and face as he watched her continue to drown the alcohol.

"Yes, it's just," Eva searched for the right words. "I guess I'm a little nervous is all." Jamie looked at her in sympathy.

"Ye need not be afraid of me, ever. I was not planning on suddenly forcing myself on you." Eva chuckled lightly and smiled at him.

"I never thought you would, Jamie." She kissed him lightly on the lips. "But I have questions." Jamie nodded.

"I'm sure you do," He sat next to her and motioned for her to ask him.

"Why did you agree to marry me? Truly?" She asked.

"Before I answer that," Jamie started. "There's one thing I ask of ye."

"What's that?"

"Honesty." He looked into her eyes. "I know there are things you'd rather not tell me, or perhaps they're things ye _can't_ tell me. I'll never insist on knowing things you tell me are your own concern.

"There are things that I can't tell _you_ , at least not yet. But what I do ask of ye, is that when you do tell me something, let it be the truth. And in return I promise the same." Eva nodded her agreement.

"I already told you about Randall and what he did to me," Eva nodded. "Well after discussing yer situation with Dougal, he reminded me of what would happen to ye if you returned to Fort William. I couldna let that happen to ye."

"So you married me to protect me?" Eva asked.

"Well that's about the jist of it, aye." Jamie nodded. "Eva, ye have my name, my clan, and if necessary, the protection of my body as well. The man willna lay hands on ye again." The two sat on the bed staring into each other's eyes. Jamie grasped Evas hands, and played with the newly added ring on her left hand.

"It's getting rather late; I suppose we should go to bed?" Eva asked, nervousness ringing through her voice.

"To bed?" Jamie asked looking intrigued. "Or to sleep?" Eva just looked at him with a coy smile and Jamie nodded. "Either way, you're not likely to sleep in yer corset and such, so I'll help ye with the laces." He held out his hand to her and helped her from the bed. Eva turned so her back was to him and his trembling fingers reached out, beginning to unravel the intricate knotting. The skirt fell to her legs and Eva carefully stepped out of them as Jamie began to unlace the corset. When it finally fell to the floor Eva was left in nothing more than her shift. Jamie gently turned her around and took her in, placing a hand delicately on her chest and moving it down to part the shift at her breasts. He gently palmed them, not wanting to frighten his new bride and Eva's breath quickened.

"It's my turn," She whispered bringing out a hand to touch him. She grasped the belt at his kilt and carefully undid it, the metal buckle clanging to the floor. Jamie suddenly grasped the back of her head and pulled him to her, kissing her fiercely. His tongue entered her mouth and she kissed him back, eagerly, her breath coming even faster.

"Where did you learn to kiss like that?" Eva asked breathlessly once they broke apart.

"I said I was a virgin," Jamie grinned. "Not a monk." He turned her around. "If I need guidance, I'll ask."

He suddenly dropped his kilt, his shirt covering his lowest regions, but Eva could make out the shape below his shirt. He pulled her to him and Eva was slightly surprised to feel that he was ready for her.

He lifted her shift quickly and turned her around so that her back was to him and Eva faced him in confusion before switching once again and falling onto the bed, taking him with her and him landing on top of her. His mouth met hers again as he hitched her leg up onto his hip before plunging into her. Eva gasped in shock at the fullness that she suddenly felt and the slight twinge of pain.

While Jamie may have been good and ready, she was not quite there yet. Jamie thrusted into her a few times and as he did Eva felt herself become more used to the feel of him in her. She began to mildly enjoy it and let out a soft 'ooh' when Jamie began thrusting with more vigor. Before long, Eva felt a warmness creep up to her womb as Jamie froze on top of her, groaning. When he stopped he rolled off of her and onto his back breathing deeply.

Eva frowned slightly; she had forgotten how quickly virgins could come, and how awkward it could be after sex. She stared at him, a slight smile on her face, as she took in his proud expression. "So was it like you thought it would be?" She asked, breaking the silence.

"Almost," Jamie grinned. "But I thought," He paused. "No, nevermind."

"What? Tell me," Eva nudged him gently in the ribs.

"You'll laugh at me," Jamie said simply and Eva grinned, leaning up and smiling down at him.

"I promise, I won't laugh."

"Well, alright," He too leaned up. "I didna realize ye did it face to face. I thought ye did it the back way like horses and sheep, ye ken?" He looked at her and Eva couldn't hold it in any longer. She burst out into soft giggles, apologizing. "Well I've seen a good number of animals mating and I just thought that's how everything did it." Eva nodded, still giggling.

"Now I'll ask ye a question; did ye like it?" Eva was not sure how to answer that. She did not want to wound his pride, but if she was being honest, she had not enjoyed it very much. Jamie took her silence as his answer and nodded. "Murtagh was right about that, then."

"Murtagh?" Eva asked in confusion.

"Aye. He said women generally do not care for it. He gave me some considerable advice on the subject last night. And Rupert. And Angus." He sat up on the bed.

"Jamie," She placed her arms around him. "I did like it," He smiled at her. "But next time I'll need a little more preparation." He looked at her confused.

"How do I do that?" He asked.

"I'll show you next time," She whispered and kissed his cheek getting up from the bed.

"I wonder if there is still food down below, I'm famished." Eva said as she walked to the door in her shift. Jamie's pleas for her to wait fell on deaf ears and when she opened the door she saw several men right outside the door.

Loud cheers greeted her as the saw her and raised their drinks to her. "If ye're still able to walk Jamie isn't doing his duty to ye!" Rupert yelled to laughter.

"Hey lass, if ye've already worn out Jamie I'll be more than happy to take his place!" Angus chuckled, making a vulgar thrusting movement. Eva quickly whirled around and reentered the room with a blushing face, slamming the door shut and seeing Jamie laughing from his spot on the bed.

"I tried to warn ye!" He said, still laughing.

"Just what are all those men doing out there!" Eva hissed.

Jamie stood from the bed and began wrapping his kilt back around his waist. "They're witnesses. Dougal is not taking any chances this marriage can be annulled. I'm afraid yer reputation's been compromised beyond repair, sassenach." He walked towards the door, kissing Eva lightly. "I'll go grab some food for us," Eva nodded and listened as Jamie walked down the stairs to the jeers and cheers of his men. She heard them making jokes, asking if he had bled and making many lewd comments.

Jamie returned several moments later with a plate of food for them to share. They sat at the small table splitting the modest plate of bread and cheese with some whiskey, talking about nonsense.

When they had finished Jamie stood and walked behind Eva's chair, leaning down and kissing her gently on the neck. "Mo fiadhiach duine," He whispered into her ear.

"What does that mean?" She turned to look into his eyes.

"My wild lass," Eva grinned and turned away, blushing.

"I always that being wild was a bad thing." He said softly.

"No," He said trailing his fingers lightly over her skin. "A girl with spirit is the best kind of girl there is. A girl with passion, heart, and adventure in her soul." He kissed the shell of her ear. "A girl who may be able to tame a highlander lad."

Eva stood and faced him, draping her arms around his neck. "I don't think there is any taming you," He grinned and kissed her deeply. The broke apart and Eva untied his kilt once again, leaving him in just his shirt. She took a step closer, kissing him gently and raised the hem of his shirt but his hand stopped her. She looked at him questioningly.

"I donna think ye want to see my back," He explained quietly.

"I want to see all of you," She said, kissing him once again. She slowly raised the shirt over head head and dropped it on the floor, taking a step back and admiring his physique.

He had a well sculpted body that was not overly muscular, and a spattering of curly red hair along his chest. Eva took a step forward, placing her hand and her lips on the spot just above his heart. She hesitated there for a moment, before continuing to move around him, gently trailing her hands over his body, causing him to shiver. When she came to his back she felt him tense up and she had to fight the urge to pull her hand away.

She knew he had been flogged 200 times, but could never have imagined his back looking the way it did. The skin was rough beneath her hands and raised. Angry pink scars marred what was once his smooth back. But Eva could feel the strength of his back through his scars and kissed him once again; first on the top of his shoulder where there were no scars, and again in the midst of his back, where the majority of the scars where.

"Does it not bother ye?" He asked in a tight voice. Eva shook her head and placed her lips back against his skin.

"Not at all. It is another part of you," She stated. "A part I will learn more about with time, if you allow it." She finished her journey around and faced him once again.

"Well," He said with a smile. "Fair is fair. Take off yours as well." Eva untied the laces to her shift and let it fall down her body.

He leaned down and captured her lips in a fiery kiss and picked her up, placing her on the bed. "Now will ye tell me what ye meant before?" Eva nodded and placed her hand upon her breast. He rolled her breast in his hand, pinching her nipple slightly which made her gasp. He continued to kiss her, fondling her breasts and pinching her nipple gently. Eva felt his heavy length against her thigh and took his other hand, leading it downwards.

"What are ye doing?" He asked in confusion.

"Showing you how to help me prepare," He grinned in understanding. She led one of his fingers to her entrance and he took the lead, carefully prodding it into her causing her to gasp in pleasure. He continued to kiss her, one hand caressing her breast and the other pleasuring her.

"Do you feel?" She panted. "Do you feel the difference?"

"Aye," He nodded.

"I'm ready for you," She panted out and Jamie muttered a quick phrase in gaelic before positioning himself over her. With a quick thrust he plunged deeply into her causing both to groan out at the friction their bodies were creating. His hands cradled her face and his kissed her deeply, thrusting again. She began to meet his thrusts eagerly and felt herself getting even more excited. Her hands traveled down to his butt and grasped it tightly, urging him to continue.

As Jamie's thrusts increased in tempo Eva felt a cramping in her womb and began to cry out in bliss. With two more thrusts she came undone, crying loudly and clamping down on him. Jamie suddenly froze on top of her and looked in concern.

"I'm sorry! I did not mean to hurt ye," Eva smiled tiredly at him and grinned, running her fingers over his jaw.

"Don't be, you didn't." She kissed him gently.

"I didn't know a woman could...does it happen every time?" Jamie asked eagerly.

"Only if the man is a very good lover," She replied and kissed him once again.

"But you're so small, I don't want to hurt you." Jamie said softly. Instead of replying Eva leaned up and captured his earlobe in her mouth, sucking softly.

"What are you doing?" He asked as she moved to his neck, biting gently.

"Shh," She began thrusting her hips into his once again and he looked at her surprised. "Women don't have to wait," She explained. "Men do," Jamie grinned at her and began meeting her thrusts slowly.

Eva rolled over so that she was sitting up in Jamie's lap. She began moving her hips back and forth in a rocking motion and Jamie groaned loudly at the sensation. He caught her nipple between the teeth, gently sucking and the sensations were almost too much for Eva to handle. She began to increase her pace, moaning loudly into his ear, which she had captured in her mouth once again.

Jamie flipped them over again and gripped her leg tightly, raising it up to his hip and thrust faster and faster.

"Oh God," Eva cried out. "Don't stop!" As their bodies continued moving together Jamie's thrusts became a little more sloppy as he neared his end. With a final thrust he stiffened, and a low groan from deep in his throat rose up and Eva felt his seed shoot up into her womb. Jamie continued thrusting a few more times until Eva also cried out, coming for the second time that night.

When they had both come down from their high and their breathing had steadied a bit, Jamie stood and dipped a nearby cloth in a basin of water. He crawled back over to the bed and carefully cleaned between Eva's thighs, being gentle so as not to hurt her. When he had replaced the rag, he layed back on the bed and Eva placed her head on his chest, wrapped in his arms and feeling satiated and happy.

 **Don't forget to review and let me know what you think!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Here's the next installment for you guys! It's a bit shorter than the rest, but the next chapter will be up within a day or two to make up for it! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed, and alerted this story! It really does make me smile!**

 **Kitcat12: Thank you for your review! I hope you continue to enjoy the story and what I have planned for these characters! As far is if Jamie will go back to 2015 with her and how much she will tell him (or even IF she will tell him), that I'm going to keep to myself for now :)**

 **Mia: Thank you for your review! I love that you review each time - it's nice to know that I can engage readers and keep them coming back.**

 **Gale Lover: Thank you for your reviews! Gaelis will make a slight appearance, possibly, but I see her as being more of Claire's friend then someone Eva would really connect with. I hope you continue to enjoy!**

Chapter nine: A morning of lovers

Eva lay with her head on Jamie's bare chest, running her fingers lightly over the skin and sparse hairs there while Jamie lightly caressed her back. She was content, lying in her husband's arms in a way she never thought she could be.

"Tell me about your parents," Jamie looked at her. "How did they meet?"

Jamie smiled sleepily and nodded. "Well my father was a Fraser of course. And my mother was Ellen MacKenzie, sister to Colum and Dougal. Her father loved her verra much and would not force her into a loveless marriage, so she stayed unmarried well past what is considered a proper age. When he died, Colum became laird of Clan MacKenzie and there was a gathering; all the tenants came to swear fealty to the new Laird ye ken.

"It was there that Colum and Dougal told my mother that she would marry Malcolm Grant in order to ease relations between the two clans. She dinna say anything against the marriage at the time, but you know how the saying goes, 'Heav'n has no Rage, like Love to Hatred turn'd, Nor Hell a Fury, like a Woman scorn'd.'" Eva laughed at this.

"That night she and Malcolm Grant went for a walk in the gardens. After some time Dougal realized both were missing and no longer at the Castle. He and his men rode off to Grant's estate and all but knocked down the door, they were so angry."

"Did they find her?" Eva asked thoroughly engrossed in his tale. He was a fantastic story teller.

Jamie shook his head, "Malcolm Grant was quite angry to see MacKenzie's at his door step. From what I was told my mother said something so vile and offensive to him that he left the grounds at once without notifying anyone because he was so embarrassed." Eva giggled. "Well, feeling quite confused Dougal returned to Castle Leoch and he and his men searched for any clue as to where my mother could have been.

"They questioned everybody they could; servants, maids, stable boys. A kitchen maid finally admitted to seeing her and a lad named Brian Fraser talking quite closely the night she disappeared. Dougal rode at once to Fraser lands and found his sister."

"Did he force her to return to Castle Leoch?" Eva asked, leaning up.

"No," Jamie shook his head. "He couldn't, ye see. My mother had gone and eloped with him, and by that time was noticeably pregnant. There was no doubt who the father was." Jamie smiled wistfully in thought. "My mother was a tough lass, who wouldn'a do anything she didn't want to. Many said she was stubborn as a mule."

"A trait," Eva kissed his neck softly. "She seems to have passed onto her son." She said grinning down at him. Jamie just raised an eyebrow and Eva continued smiling at him, trying not to giggle.

"I'll show ye stubborn!" He launched himself up, catching Eva by surprise and covering her body with his own and showering her with kisses. Eva laughed loudly at his antics and smiled widely.

She felt her cheeks would start aching at any moment and break for she had been smiling so much that night. But if they did, she would be glad to have shared the time she had with Jamie. When Jamie had finished ravishing her mouth he leaned back and played with a stray lock of her hair, smiling gently down at her.

"Jamie," She asked. "Why is your kilt a different color than the one you were wearing before?" She asked, motioning to the discarded piece of clothing.

"That, lass, is the plaid of Clan Fraser. I refused to be married without it; it was one of my conditions." He said proudly.

"One of your conditions? How many others did you have?"

"Just three," He said simply. "First we needed to be wed properly. In a church. Before a priest. My mother would roll in her grave if her only living son dinna do such.

"Second I wanted a proper ring." He fiddled with the ring that was finger. "This is a verra special key, ye ken. The bow of the key comes from the key to lallybroch, my home.

"Third ye needed a proper wedding dress. Murtagh went to a brothel to find one. Where do ye think he got that strumpet?" Eva laughed lightly.

"So that's who that was? I was wondering what was going on there," She mused and then looked down at her ring. "Thank you for giving me a piece of your home Jamie. It means more to me than you know."

It was true. In a time when she felt she had no home and no direction to go in, it was comforting to know that Jamie was willing to not only share his deepest secret of being an outlaw with her, but also his sanctuary and safe-place.

"I hope to take ye there one day," He smiled. "I think ye'd like it." She leaned up and kissed him gently.

"I'm sure I would. Tell me about it?" Jamie nodded and began telling Eva all about Lollybroch. He told her about the pastures where they kept horses and sheep, the blacksmith where Jamie would watch horseshoes being made, the stable where he had sometimes slept as a boy, and so much more. As Jamie continued to stroke her hair and regal her with tales of his childhood, she felt her eyes close and she was fast asleep.

When Eva woke the sun was beginning to creep through the windows and was shining in her eyes causing her to crinkle them. She had a slight headache due to the wine and whiskey she had imbibed the previous night but was clear headed enough to remember what had occurred.

She glanced at the body laying next to her and lightly smiled for Jamie's face was peaceful in a way it rarely was when his eyes were open. She smiled and brushed away a stray lock of hair gently and he stirred slightly at the movement and blearily opened his eyes.

"Good morning," his voice was handsomely hoarse and she smiled at him.

"Sorry I woke you," he shook his head. "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I have in a long time." Eva blushed at that.

She marveled at how at ease she felt with this man, her _husband_. Her previous dalliances had always been awkward after, with the question of if she or he would be spending the night, the question of when it would be appropriate to put clothes back on, and the best way to converse with them after experiencing each other on such a personal and intimate level. But she found that this time there was none of that awkwardness. Perhaps it was because there _was_ no question regarding clothes or spending the night since they were married but she found that she rather enjoyed the lack of awkwardness and uncertainty.

Eva placed her head over Jamie's heart, listening to the steady beat that echoed in her ears and he wrapped an arm around her middle. The two lay in comfortable silence for several minutes and Eva felt her eyes growing heavy once again, being soothed by the steady thumping of Jamie's heart and the soothing motion of his calloused hands running over her back.

"Eva," He said softly.

"Hmm?"

"I have something fer ye," Eva looked up at him questioningly.

"What is it?" Jamie grinned at her but did not respond and leaned over the bed rummaging around for something. With a sound of triumph he held up his sporran, a small leather pouch that held various items within it and served the same function of pockets in the pocketless kilts. He held out a string of pearls, placing them over her head.

"They're beautiful," She marveled, fingering them. They were not like the pearls she had seen her mother wear as a child, but slightly longer and not as circular, but they were beautiful nonetheless.

"They're Scotch pearls," Jamie explained. "They belonged to my mother. And now they belong to my wife. They're one of the few things I have left of her, and are very precious to me. As are you, Eva."

"Thank you, Jamie." She smiled and leaned over, kissing him softly.

Unlike the previous night, this kiss wasn't filled with hurriedness or spur of the moment desire. It was intimate and slow, the newlyweds exploring each other and getting to know one another.

Jamie sat up, swinging a leg over Eva's hip and began grinding his pelvis against her own. The delicious friction made her moan quietly and Jamie grinned into her mouth. She felt his length, hard and warm on her thigh and reached down, grasping it lightly in her hands causing him to hiss at the coolness of her hand.

Slowly she ran her hand up the length slowly, teasing him several times before positioning him at her entrance and thrusting her hips forward, taking him inside her. A low moan rumbled deep within his throat and his eyes closed briefly at the sensation of her warmth. He stayed still for a few moments, allowing her to adjust to him before she began moving slowly, setting the pace. Jamie began to meet her thrusts slowly, leaning down and capturing her lips in a burning kiss.

The pair moved in an intricate dance, as if they had been partners for years instead of a few short hours. The room was silent save the sounds of heavy breathing, the occasional moan, and the sound of skin against skin. As Jamie continued thrusting into Eva's center she leaned up, catching one of his nipples in her teeth. His skin tasted bitter and salty, the sweat dripping down from the exertion of pumping into her and Jamie closed his eyes, hissing.

"Does that hurt?" She asked through half-lidded eyes.

"Yes."

"Do you want me to stop?" She then swirled her tongue around his nipple making him groan louder.

"God, no." His pace increased even more and gone was the tenderness of before. Now they were moving in sync, quickly as Jamie neared his end. He thrust, once, twice, and a third time before he froze above her, shuddering as he found he released.

When he finished he looked down at her, frowning. "You didn't," He searched for the words. "You didn't finish this time?"

Eva shook her head, "It's okay. It doesn't happen each time," She reassured him. "Just hold me?" Jamie climbed off her and gathered her in his arms.

"I can do that," Together, wrapped in a warm embrace, the two fell back to sleep, dozing and entering dreamland.

When the couple awake once again the sunlight was bright and filled the room. The two slowly rose and put their clothes back on lazily, occasionally pausing to kiss one another.

"I'll be back soon," Jamie said once he had finished dressing. "I'm so hungry that if I don't eat soon I'll take a bite out of you." Eva grinned back at him.

"Who says I would mind?" Jamie smiled, kissed her quickly and left. She began cleaning up the room slightly, picking up her discarded wedding dress and folding it up as best as she could. She then picked up her dress that she was traveling in and began to putting it on as best as she could by herself.

It was a task much more challenging than she had originally thought. She had only gotten as far as the corset when the door opened once again and Jamie entered with a plate of food for them to share.

"What are ye doing, Sassenach?" His voice was filled with amusement and Eva glared at him.

"Trying to get dressed. These bloody strings are impossible and my arms don't bend at that angle!" Jamie laughed heartily and placed the food on the table.

"Turn around," She did as he bade and his cool hands touches the skin on the back of her neck. He tightened the laces just enough so that they would hold and the corset would be in the proper place but no where near as tight as Mrs. Fitz normally did it.

When he finished he leaned down and began to kiss the side of her neck, his scruff tickling her. He pulled the skin between his teeth, pulling, and she moaned. Her arm came above her, grasping onto the nape of his neck and pulled him closer. Jamie's hand came up and stroked an arousing pattern on her stomach, trailing it higher and grasping her breast.

"What about the food?" She panted.

"Bugger the food." With that the two fell back into bed together.

 **Author's Note: Please review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Authors Note: Thank you to all who favorited, alerted, and reviewed! The response to this has been much more than I originally anticipated and I can't express how grateful I am! Gaelic translations are on the bottom!**

 **Gale Lover: I'm glad you like the touches I've kept. As to if there will be more sassenach's, there may be...or not...we'll see :)**

Chapter Ten: Sleeping in Haystacks and Rutting in the fields

After another dalliance between the sheets Eva and Jamie emerged from their room fully dressed to the bawdy and lewd cheers of the men below. Jamie grinned with male pride as he received compliments and slaps on the back while Eva blushed and tried to make herself as small a target as possible.

The horses were already saddled when they arrived at the stables and Eva smiled as Jamie helped her up, jumping on behind her when she was settled. They set off on a brisk walk and Eva tried her hardest to ignore the jeers coming from Angus who seemed to find it quite humorous that she had 'another beast between her thighs'.

"If ye can ride at all then Jamie didna serve ye well last night!" He roared with laughter as he took a swig from his canteen. "Maybe I'll come by tonight and show ye how a real man loves his wife!" Eva burrowed herself deeper into Jamie's plaid which was thrown over them to keep out the chill of the late summer Highland air and blushed a furious shade of scarlet.

Jamie quipped something in harsh gaelic and Angus immediately stopped his laughter, glaring at Jamie.

"A bheil sin a-rithist?" Angus seethed. Eva was not sure what Jamie had said, but by Angus' reaction she could assume it was not a favorable comment.

"Thuirt mi ma bhruidhneas tu ri mo bhean mar sin a-rithist, nì mi e gus nach bruidhinn thu idir idir." The two men glared at each other, the tension rising until Eva could almost taste it and she shuddered inwardly.

Dougal looked back at the spatting men and sighed calling out. "Knock it off, ye wee smouts!" With that command the two men grinned at each other and laughed. Eva could not fathom what the two found so funny when they were just threatening each other but she shrugged it off and minded her own.

The group continued to ride, alternating between trotting, walking, and the occasional canter. With the sun high in the sky and the grumbling of the group becoming too much for Dougal to bear, he stopped them at the side of a babbling river flush with fresh rainfall. Some of the men began to gather kindling, some men led their horses to water, and some of the men stood along the banks of the river staring intently into the rushing waters.

"What are they doing?" Eva asked motioning to the men.

"Fishing," Jamie said simply. Eva did not ask him to elaborate and instead sat on a nearby log.

"Of course they are," She muttered and he laughed.

"Come, Sassenach." Jamie held his hand out to her. "Let's go for a walk, I want to show you something."

Eva nodded and stood, walking hand in hand with Jamie up the hill and away from the rest of the men, trying her best to ignore the jeers and taunts coming from the men.

"Will they ever stop that?" Eva asked and Jamie laughed grinning cheekily at her.

"Ah I doubt it," He sighed. "They don't get much entertainment, ye ken and our marriage is the most exciting thing that's happened to them in quite some time."

Eva laughed. "Well I guess I'm flattered that they find our marriage so exciting, but couldn't they find something else to occupy their time?" She was quickly tiring of the constant comments and blushing. She frequently felt uncomfortable around the men and it made her long for these moments alone with Jamie.

"Well I'll talk with them about it. But don't fret, lass. If they tease ye like that it means they're comfortable wi' ye and they like ye."

"If you say so," Eva sighed as they came to a stop at the crest of another hill and looked at him. "What was it you wanted to show me?"

Jamie just looked at he and grinned, grabbing her waist and pulling her to him. "Jamie!" She gasped. "What are you doing? They're right over there," Jamie ignored her and leaned down, kissing her neck and pulling the skin beneath his teeth. "Jamie."

"What are ye doing to me, lass?" He whispered. "What spell have ye put me under?" Eva groaned softly as she felt her body react to his attentions.

"I think you're the one who has put a spell on me," She replied.

Jamie paused and pulled away, looking down at her. "When I wed ye, lass, I told ye that I have no money and no property." Eva nodded. "I also should have warned ye that we'd spend many nights sleeping on haystacks and rutting about in the fields." Eva laughed.

"I don't mind sleeping on haystacks, Jamie. As long as I'm with you."

"Well," Jamie grinned. "I don't have a haystack about me, but there's a fresh patch of heather just there. What do ye say we practice a bit more?"

Once the two had finished they were laying side by side in the sun, and looking at each other.

"Does it ever stop?" Jamie asked, stroking her hair softly. "The wanting ye?"

Eva looked at him. "I don't know, but I certainly hope not." She kissed his temple softly. Suddenly her wrist itched furiously as the cut Dougal had given her the night before began healing. "Jamie, what is this? What did we say?" She asked motioning to the healing cut.

"You are blood of my blood and bone of my bone. I give you my body that we two may be one. I give you my spirit till our life shall be done," He said softly. "It's verra similar to the other vows we said, just a bit more Scottish."

Eva nodded in understanding. "We should be heading back soon; we don't want Dougal and them coming to look for us."

"No, we certainly don't." Jamie grinned. "I don't want anyone else seeing ye." The two dressed in silence and walked back down the hill hand in hand. In the time they had been gone, the men had caught several fish and had fried them, making a small feast. Jamie and Eva sat on a log nearby, sharing one of the trout and listening to the men tell stories.

"Let's move out," Dougal growled. "We need to make good time if we are to return to Castle Leoch before long." The men nodded and went back onto their horses. When the group stopped again, the sun had long since set. After a small dinner of rabbit that one of the men had caught they were all sitting around the fireplace and Rupert was telling them an old folktale. He was a fantastic story-teller and Eva found herself engrossed in the tale,

"What about you, lass?" Murtagh asked when Rupert had finished. "Do ye know of any stories?"

Eva nodded. "Yes, but I'm afraid I'm nowhere near as good of a storyteller as Rupert." The man's cheeks tinged pink and he grinned.

"I doubt that, lass. Give it a go!" He urged her and Eva sighed, smiling lightly.

"Very well," She thought for a moment about which story to tell, before settling on one of her favorite fairy tales from her childhood. "Once, long ago there was a poor miller. His business had failed due to many poor choices he had made, though he was once the best miller in the village. One day, he visited the King who had been teasing him about his failing business. The miller, not willing to accept his failings lied to the King, and told him that his daughter could spin straw into pure gold.

"The King, a very greedy man, immediately sent for the girl, locking his in the highest tower with piles of hay and a spinning wheel. He demanded that she spin each piece of hay into golden thread by morning or he would kill her.

"The girl wept, for she did not know how to spin straw into gold and feared what would become of her in the morning. As she wept, a horrible creature came to her by means of magic. He spoke with the girl, assuring her that she would not die come morning. See, the creature was a goblin and thus had magic in his blood. In exchange for the girls necklace he would spin the straw into gold for her.

"The girl readily agreed, and when morning came, the King was presented with a room full of golden thread. The king then moved the girl to an even larger room, with more straw and demanded that she once again, spin the straw into gold. The girl called out for the creature and he offered her ring in exchange for spinning the straw into gold. He agreed and the next morning the King was impressed with the girls feat. He moved her into the largest room within his castle and demanded that the girl turn the last bit of straw in his barns into gold. If she failed, he would kill her but if she succeeded he would marry her.

"The girl waited for the creature to appear once again and yet he did not. She wept for fear of her life and it was not until the moon was high in the sky that the creature came. However, she had nothing to pay the creature with for he had taken all of her jewelry and valuables she possessed. The creature, ever mischievous and cunning, extracted a promise from the girl that she would give him her first child when she married the king and she reluctantly agreed.

"A year later, the girl and the king had been married and their first child born. The creature came to collect his payment but the girl protested. She offered the creature anything else he could want; all of her riches and wealth. The creature, though, had no interest. He finally agreed to give up his claim on the child if she could guess his name in three days.

"Each day, the girl guessed as many names as she could but failed each time. The last night she had to guess, the girl wandered into the woods, searching for him in order to buy herself more time. As she was walking she saw the creature dancing in firelight and singing.

"'Tonight, tonight, my plans I make, tomorrow tomorrow, the baby I take. The queen will never win my game, for Rumpelstiltskin is my name!' When he came for the final night, the queen told him his name. In his anger, Rumpelstiltskin stomped the ground so hard, he created a chasm. The goblin fell into it and was never seen again." Eva looked up from the fire which she was staring at while telling her story and saw the men looking at her in astonishment.

"Well," Murtagh said. "That was gruesome. I think ol' Rupert may have some competition for the best tales!" The men laughed and Eva blushed. Eva waved them off and settled into Jamie's side, hiding her face in his plaid.

"Yer a good story-teller, lass," Jamie whispered in her hair and kissed her temple. After some time the men began to settle into sleep and Jamie and Eva walked away, laying on a rough blanket some distance away from the rest of the men. Jamie gathered Eva in his arms and began stroking her with his hands, beginning at her stomach but slowly, his hands drifted lower.

"Jamie! Not here!" She whispered as quietly as she could so that she would not alert the men as to what was happening underneath Jamie's plaid.

"Why, are ye tired? I can be quick." His hands began pulling up Eva's long and heavy skirts.

"No, it's just there are twenty men sleeping right next to us!" She nodded her head in the direction the snores were coming from.

"Well, they willna be sleeping fer much longer if ye keep talking." He raised her skirts enough for his hand to dip beneath them and found her wet center. He kissed her deeply and groaned. "Christ, yer wet as a puddle," Eva groaned at the sensations pulsing through her body.

"Bloody hell," While Eva's sense of propriety objected to Jamie taking her out in the open like this with so many men nearby who could easily spot them, Jamie made her not care as much as she thought she would.

When they had finished, Jamie brought his hands away from under her skirts and wrapped his arms around her. "Goodnight, mo fiadhiach duine."

Two days later Eva finally laid eyes on Castle Leoch and all but cried in relief. She was exhausted from riding long and hard all day and sleeping on the cold, hard ground. Jamie's plaid offered warmth at night but little in the way of comfort. As they entered the courtyard Mrs. Fitz came bustling out much as she had when Eva had first arrived.

"Oh, welcome back!" She cried running up to Murtagh to give him a hug. Eva and Jamie dismounted their horse and walked over hand in hand. When Mrs. Fitz saw them she cried in surprise and rushed over to them.

"What is this?" She grabbed Eva's ringed hand and all but squealed. "You married? Congratulations my dears!" She whipped Eva and Jamie into a tight hug shouting salutations and well wishes. She whipped the two of them into the castle and down to the kitchens where she had mugs of ale poured and toasted to them.

"To a long, prosperous, and fruitful marriage," Several of the kitchen maids looked on in confusion at Mrs. Fitz's energy. "May the two of ye be blessed." With that the three of them toasted to each other and drank deeply. Eva beamed in happiness as she felt accepted by the matron of Castle Leoch. Mrs. Fitz insisted the two eat something while she prepared new rooms for them. Eva went to protest, insisting that her old rooms were fine for the two of them but Mrs. Fitz ignored her. Apparently being married allowed them to have larger, more spacious rooms.

What seemed like only moments later, Mrs. Fitz came back into the kitchens to escort the two to their new rooms. They were stopped several times on their trek up the stairs from well-wishers who congratulated the two on their recent nuptials and when they finally crossed the threshold Jamie let out a breath.

"Christ, it's good to be home." He groaned, taking off his boots. There was to be a grand feast that night to celebrate Eva and Jamie's marriage. While Eva appreciated the gesture she was feeling extremely travel-worn and did not want to leave their new rooms.

"Must we go?" She yawned stretching out across the bed. "Can't we say that we're spending the night together as newlyweds or something?"

"If only," Jami crawled over her and kissed her lightly. "But when the MacKenzie calls, we must answer." She groaned and he chuckled. "Rest now, Sassenach." Eva nodded and closed her eyes, falling into a light sleep.

The sun was starting to set when Eva awoke, feeling eyes on her. She opened her eyes and saw Jamie gazing down at her, with a light smile on his face. "What are you doing?" Her voice was thick with sleep and she yawned, covering her face with her hands.

"Thinking,"

"About what?"

"When you first came here," Jamie started uneasily. "The men and I would call ye Sassenach. After a time, you yelled at us, telling us not to call you that. Ye don't see to mind it much now, but why? Why did you have such a poor reaction to it?"

He was staring deeply into her eyes and she sighed, nodded. "I told you my parents died when I was younger and I moved in with my Uncle, yes?" Jamie nodded. "Well when i began living there and attending school, I was a complete outsider. I looked different, dressed different, and sounded different. Soon the other children began teasing me, calling me names. I ignored them all, but one day, this really mean girl named Stephanie began calling me _sassenach_. She told me that no one could ever love a dirty english girl like me, that not even my parents wanted me anymore.

"I knew it was nonsense of course, but as an eight year old, you'd listen to just about anything and believe it. So soon enough I began to believe that I was worthless and unloved. I grew to hate being there, hate the school, and hate the word _sassenach_."

"I'm sorry, lass." Jamie kissed her. "That seems terrible. I would take the pain away if I could."

"I know." She sighed. "It was a long time ago and I had buried it deep within me. But when Angus and Rupert would call me sassenach the way they were, it just brought it back up. It brought me back to being that helpless eight year old girl who was scared and alone, feeble, and weak."

"I don't think ye were ever feeble or weak, lass. Your heart is too pure for that, too good. Ye stand up to me and Davie Beaton, ye let your opinions known. Nay, lass. You are not weak; you are strong, stronger than any man I have ever known." Eva smiled at him, feeling something very close to infatuation, and leaned up, kissing him passionately. She knew they may be late to the feast being held in their honor, but she could not bring herself to care very much. She would much rather continue to lay in bed, kissing her husband.

Gaelic Translations:

A bheil sin a-rithist - Say that again?

Thuirt mi ma bhruidhneas tu ri mo bhean mar sin a-rithist, nì mi e gus nach bruidhinn thu idir idir. - If you talk about my wife like that again, I'll make it so you don't speak anymore at all.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Hello all and welcome back! Here is the next chapter; sorry it took a few days but there was something about it that I didn't like and I didn't want to post it without being completely satisfied with it. Thank you to PsychoBeachGirl88, Kitcat12, Graegan88, and Gale Lover for the reviews on the last chapter!**

 **Please review if you like the story so far - or even if you don't! Let me know what you think!**

Chapter 11: Not the house-wife type

By the time Jamie and Eva had dressed and entered the great hall, many others had already arrived and were milling about in conversation with a drink in hand. As the two entered the room many cheers and toasts went into the air and the couple smiled their thanks at the castle's occupants.

A flock of women swooped in and guided Eva away to chat. She sent a fleeting look of help at Jamie but he just smirked and winked at her, causing her to narrow her eyes in mock frustration at him. The women were giddy and asking Eva an array of questions. She regaled how she had come to be wed to Jaime, including the events leading up to their nuptials, but leaving out the details of Jamie's outlaw status and Captain Randall. She described the lengths Jamie went through to ensure her wedding was special, despite the fact that it was arranged last minute and how lovely her dress was.

"Ach," A woman named Maura said. "I remember me own wedding day; why if Dougal wasna as hungover as possible it might have been worth remembering." She sighed and Eva gave her a wide-eyed look.

"You're married to Dougal?"

"Aye. I mainly stay at Beannachd with the barins." She explained.

"Oh you have children?" Eva inquired.

"Aye, four girls. Tis no wonder poor Dougal stays here at the Castle, being surrounded by women," Maura laughed merrily and took a sip of her wine. She seemed soft and kind, although not a rose among thorns by any means.

Eva was surprised to learn that not only was Dougal married, but a father of four! She had a difficult time reconciling the harsh and intimidating man that was the war chieftain of clan MacKenzie with a father. Perhaps that is why he stayed at the Castle; so he would not have to truly be a father.

"Excuse me," Jamie's baritone voice cut over the quiet discussion. "I'm afraid I require the presence of my wife." Eva nodded her farewells to the ladies and looped her arm through Jamie's walking away.

"I didn't know Dougal was married," Eva said once they were alone.

"Aye, he's married. Doesna act much like it though." Jamie replied.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Jamie said uncertainly. "He has taken many mistresses throughout their marriage. Only really goes home to Beannachd when he needs to lay with Maura." He explained.

Eva gasped. "That's awful! Certainly the children need a father in their life!"

"Dougal doesna see it that way. He wants an heir, a son to pass his name on to. Since Maura hasna given him one he sees no reason to return to raise the barins."

"But it isn't even her fault she only has daughters!" Jamie gave Eva an odd look and she sighed. "Nevermind, forget I said anything." Her face was distraught and Jamie cupped her cheek, forcing her to look in his eyes.

"I'll no' do that to ye, Eva," He said softly. "If we only have girls, or if God sees it fit to not bless us with bairns at all, I'll still be faithful to ye and be there. I made a vow, and I always keep my vows." He kissed her softly and when they broke apart Eva smiled softly up at him.

"You will be a wonderful father Jamie. You are already a wonderful husband," He grinned down at her kissing her again swiftly. When he stood, the hall went quiet and the two looked to the entrance where Colum and Letitica were standing stiffly and formally.

"My deepest congratulations to the two of ye," He spoke loudly, commanding the attention of everyone gathered in the hall, including the servants. "May your marriage be a happy and long one." Jamie and Eva bowed deeply in respect, thanking their laird for his well wishes.

"It has been some time since we've had a wedding here," Letitica crooned. "It is good to see the castle alive in such a way." She looked at Colum with a slight curve of her lips before looking back down at Jamie and Eva. "May your union have many blessings. She raised her goblet in a toast before speaking in a loud, ringing voice. "Chun beatha!"

Echoes of 'Chun beatha' filtered throughout the room as the crowd repeated it and drank deeply. Eva and Jamie did as well and when Colum and Letticia had walked from the doorway to the center of the room Eva turned with a questioning gaze.

"What did that mean?"

"To good health, mo fiadhiach duine." Eva nodded in understanding. Jamie nodded his head to a figure standing behind them and looked down at her. "I believe someone wants to speak with ye." Eva turned and saw Fiona standing a few paces away. When she turned around again, Jamie had disappeared, giving them privacy to speak. Fiona came over, smiling at Eva and grasped her hands in a friendly manner.

"Congratulations, mo charaid, on your marriage. He is a great lad who will treat you well." She smiled honestly at Eva who could not help but smile back.

"Thank you, Fiona. He is a great man, and a good friend." She paused and grinned. "But are you sure you don't mind me taking him from you?" Fiona laughed loudly and some people nearby turned to look at them.

"Ach, not at all. Actually, I wanted to speak with ye about that," She paused, looking uncertain. "Jamie told me that ye know about me. It's a lot to ask, I know, but-"

"Of course I won't say anything!" Eva interrupted. "I could care less who you love, as long as you are happy and they treat you right." Fiona's smile of relief broke across her face, making her look even more stunning than usual.

"Thank ye!"

"There is no need to thank me," Eva waved her hands in dismissal. "But if I may ask...I don't mean to sound rude or insensitive but how can that possibly work? It isn't accepted here is it?"

"No," Fiona's smile quickly turned into a slight frown. "It isn't. I must be careful and use good judgement. I shall never be free to marry someone I truly love or want to, but I hope that when I do marry, it is a good and kind man who will treat me right."

"But couldn't you just not marry at all? If you don't love the man, why would you?"

"Oh, it must be much more simple where you come from, mo charaid. A woman who doesna marry will be shamed forever. She will have no means of supporting herself or making a living. Nay, I must marry and bear sons for that is my duty in life; as it is yours." Eva looked at her confused.

"What do you mean, it's my duty?" She asked.

"Well ye must bear Jamie bairns of course. If he ever is able to go home ye'll run his house and raise the children while he works and makes a living fer ye." Fiona explained this like it was so simple, but Eva couldn't imagine herself being nothing more than a housewife.

"Please excuse me, Fiona. I need to have a word with my husband." Eva stormed off before she could even hear Fiona's response and tapped Jamie on the shoulder. He was currently in discussion with Murtagh and Rupert, laughing at a joke and eating some food.

"I need to speak with you," She shot a glare at Murtagh and Rupert. "Now." Jamie nodded, set his plate down and followed her off to the side of the room where they could have some privacy.

"What is it?" He asked, concern reflecting in his eyes.

"I just had a very interesting conversation with Fiona," Jamie merely raised an eyebrow in response. "About our marriage and my job within it." The depth of the crease in Jamie's eyebrows nearly doubled.

"What about yer job, lass?"

"Having children!" She whispered loudly. "Is that all I am in this marriage? Someone to give you heirs? I'm telling you right now, Jamie I will not sit at home like Maura while you go off galavanting through the countryside and girls like a bachelor! I want to do more with my life than be a common housewife!" Jamie's brow flattened and his eyes began to glimmer and crinkle in a smile. "What is so funny, Jamie?"

"Ah, lass I never thought you would be a common housewife; for one thing yer not common." Eva blushed at that. "I would never ask ye to give up yer dreams for me, lass." He said in a more serious tone. "If ye wish to continue yer work with Davie Beaton I have no quarrel with it. If we have bairns and you want to continue working we can hire a wet nurse or someone to help ye with the child." Eva shook her head.

"I don't want anyone raising my baby but me."

"But how do you think ye'll manage to work and raise a babe? From what I have been told being a mother is an exhausting occupation."

"My mother did it," Eva said softly and Jamie smiled at her. "And if she could do it, then so can I."

"Aye," Jamie kissed her softly. "If anyone can manage all of that, it would be you lass." Eva felt her cheeks tinge pink with embarassment. "Now come, have a dance with me."

After several dances, toasts, and jokes, Eva was exhausted and could not wait to fall into her bed. She had left Jamie in the hall where he was still drinking with Rupert and Angus and playing a dice game that was unfamiliar to her. She bade him goodnight and climbed the stairs to their rooms, falling onto the bed in a heap and falling asleep before she could even take her clothes off.

She was woken sometime later by the door opening and closing loudly. Eva rolled over and glanced at the doorway where Jamie was trying unsuccessfully to untie his boots. He let out a quiet curse and sat down on a nearby chair, untying his laces and dropping the boot with a loud _clang_! He flinched at the noise and glanced at the bed, hoping he hadn't woken his wife and frowned slightly when he saw that he had failed.

"I'm sorry, mo fiadhiach duine. I tried to be quiet."

"You're about as quiet as a herd of elephants," She snorted and he grinned in response. "Here, let me help you."

She rose from the bed, hissing at the cold boards beneath her feet and stride over to her husband, kneeling at his feet and taking off his last boot with quick precision.

"Thank ye, mo fiadhiach duine." Jamie's voice was little more than a whisper. He reached down and grasped her arms pulling her into his lap, kissing her softly.

Eva pulled away with a crinkle in her noise. "Good god you reek! How much did you drink?" She laughed.

"Not as much as poor Angus. He thought he could beat me at cards if he got me drunk enough. Might have succeeded if he himself didna get so stinking drunk himself." Eva laughed at that and Jamie smiled hearing it. He liked making his wife laugh. It made him feel as if he was not a terrible husband and she truly liked spending time with him.

"Well, let's get you to bed." Eva tried to help him walk the few paces to the bed but he was too heavy for her and she quickly gave up. Jamie managed to get to the bed and tore off his shirt, throwing it on a nearby chair. His head flopped onto the pillow and he was instantly asleep.

Eva smiled wistfully at her sleeping husband and gently ran a hand through his red curls. In his sleep, Jamie smiled and nudged her hand, much like a cat. Eva smiled in response before turning from the bed and began removing her heavy dress for it was incredibly uncomfortable to sleep in. When she had succeeded she placed it over a chair delicately and climbed into bed beside her snoring husband. When she fell asleep, she did so with a smile on her face.

Eva awoke sometime later with a soft moan. She was feeling the most delightful sensations throughout her body and she writhed, trying to ease the friction.

"Stay still, mo fiadhiach duine," She heard Jamie whisper in a gravelly voice. She looked down and saw a lump beneath the covers in between her legs and threw her head back. A warm and wet sensation filled her as Jamie thrust his tongue into her causing her to shut her eyes with ecstasy. She reached beneath the blankets, holding his head fast against her and she began to rock with the pleasure of his tongue on her.

His tongue snaked around her clit, circling it twice as he inserted two fingers into her and she hissed in response. "God, Jamie," She panted. "Don't stop; please."

"I wouldna dream of it," His voice was muffled beneath the covers but she could still make out what he had said. He continued his procedure of licking, sucking, and gently biting and soon Eva felt a warmth pool deep within her belly. "Oh god," Jamie sucked her clit into his mouth and arched his fingers within her. With a final cry, Eva's walls began contracting down around his fingers and he grinned in satisfaction. He continued to lightly suck until she had stopped and when she had he pulled his head up above the blankets and kissed her neck, moving slowly up to her lips. She could still taste herself on him and found it oddly arousing.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

"Just something I picked up," He answered slyly and Eva decided not to pursue it. Jamie looked at her with a frown of confusion but soon his eyes widened as her meaning became clear.

She pushed him into his back and straddled his waist leaning down and capturing a nipple lightly in her teeth. She bit gently, then circled it with her tongue to ease the pain before moving onto his other nipple.

"Does this hurt?" She asked huskily.

"A little," his voice was tense.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"Dia no."

Eva moved from his chest and slowly traveled downward, kissing and licking as she went. She circled his navel with her tongue before she came to the heavy length in between his thighs.

There was a spring of dark red hair at the top, and his impressive length prodded out from beneath the curls. She heard him let out a soft gasp as she took him into her mouth and he groaned in satisfaction and she moved up and down the length of him. She reached beneath him and grasped the twin weights in her hands, lightly rolling them in time to her licks and sucks.

Jamie began bucking his hips into her mouth and hit too deeply, causing Eva to gag lightly. At the sound he paused and looked down.

"I'm sorry! Are ye alright?" Eva smiled up at him and nodded.

"Yes, you just went a little too deep." He blushed at that and before he could say more on the matter she took him back into her mouth and her let out another groan, throwing his head back onto the pillow, eyes closed.

Soon, Eva felt him begin to tense up and she knew he was close. She quickened her pace and with a deep suck, felt the warmth from him trickle down her throat. She swallowed him, continuing her ministrations until he had finished. When he had she moved up to him and rested her head on his chest.

"That was," he searched for the right words. "Like heaven." Eva grinned and kissed him.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it," he smirked back at her. "Can we spend all day here? I don't want to face the rest of the castle."

Jamie shook his head no. "Ach I wish we could. But there's a new filly that needs breaking and I'm sure Master Beaton is eagerly awaiting your return."

"Bugger Master Beaton and the filly. I'd rather spend the day with you."

"As would I," he replied. "But if we don't leave it's likely someone would come looking for us." He gave her a smoldering look. "And I'd rather them not see you with me on top of you." Eva blushed and Jamie laughed, kissing her quickly and leaving the bed. He walked over to the chair, wiggling into his breeches and looked over at a pouting Eva still in bed. "Up you get, lass! Colum waits for no man."

"I guess it's a good thing I'm not a man, then."

After much coaxing from Jamie Eva left the confines of their room with the promise of a repeat performance of the morning the night. The two made their way down the to the hall to break their fast. While Eva was eating a small portion of eggs she felt a pair of eyes on her. She looked around, concerned until she met the icy blue eyes of a pretty young woman who was glaring at her.

"Jamie," She motioned with her head to the girl. "Who is that?" Jamie turned and saw who she was motioning to. The young girl quickly averted her eyes as she realized she had been caught staring.

"That's Laoghaire. Mrs. Fitz's granddaughter." He said simply.

"Have you," Eva struggled to find the words. "I mean have you ever met her?"

"I suppose I must have met her once or twice in my time at the castle. It's not a very big place ye ken?"

"Yes, but what I mean to say is was she ever one of your meetings behind tapestries?" Jamie laughed loudly and reached over to grasp her hand.

"No," his thumb rubbed soothing circles on her hand. "She's much too young fer me. Besides," he grinned at her. "I have a very attractive wife who keeps me from those tapestries." Eva smiled in response but it did not reach her eyes. Something about the girl, Laoghaire, unsettled her. The pair quickly finished their breakfasts and went their separate ways, Jamie to the stables and Eva to the surgery.

Despite Jamie's assurances, Eva could not shake the odd feeling she got from Laoghaire. She entered the surgery in a pensive mood, a slight frown on her face.

"Is marriage all that bad that you are frowning already?" Eva was slightly confused as Davie Beaton had never been this happy to see her before. "Is he not pleasing ye then?" Eva chuckled in response. She was quickly learning that the Scots were a crude bunch and many, it seemed, thrived on making her blush.

"He pleases me just fine, I assure you."

"Good. Now come," He beckoned her over. "These plants need grinding." Eva realized why Davie had been so excited to see her on that moment. He wanted her to do the manual labor so he could focus solely on healing. Eva nodded and sighed in resignation; at least she was being productive.

The weeks passed by with impending regularity. Each morning Eva woke, dressed, broke her fast with Jamie before they parted ways. Him to whatever area of the castle needed him and her to the surgery. Sometimes he would come and visit her while she worked and sometimes she would leave the surgery early to see him. They would eat their dinner in the hall, and stay for some time after for the evening's entertainment, before retiring to bed when they would do it all over again the next morning.

Despite her happiness in her marriage, Eva found herself wishing for more. More adventure and surprises perhaps, anything to break what was fast becoming dull monotony.

She was working in the surgery, sweating profusely because Davie Beaton had a roaring fire in the hearth that warmed the entire room to near stifling temperatures. She was mixing a poultice when the door slammed open making her jump in surprise.

Two men, holding third in between them came rushing down the stairs with a frantic look in their eyes.

"Set him on the table! What happened?" Eva asked rushing to prepare anything that Davie Beaton might need.

"The axle of a wheel cut him; can you help him?" Eva looked down at the arm that was gushing blood. The cut was fairly long, about six inches and looked deep but it didn't look as if the brachial artery was severed which was a good sign.

"We will do everything we can. Now if you could please excuse us?" The men nodded, wished their friend good luck and left the room. Eva looked around and saw Davie Beaton still standing near the fire and she looked at him in surprise.

"Well, get to it, girl. You're going to want to stop that bleeding before he dies." Eva was shocked.

"You mean you're actually going to let me treat someone?" Davie nodded.

"I will observe, but yes. I think you are ready to begin a more practical approach. Now, what must you do first?"

"Boil water and begin cleaning the cut, while applying a tourniquet," Davie nodded and Eva quickly set to tying a piece of leather above the cut in order to slow the bleeding while Davie boiled water mixed with whiskey. She slowly began cleaning the cut, trying to judge how deep it was once all the blood was clean.

"So I'll need to stitch it closed and then I was thinking of applying a honey salve to stop infection as well as giving him some garlic and cinnamon to fight off infection and fever, then covering the wound?" Davie nodded with a slight smile on his face.

"Exactly as I would have done," Eva nodded and pulled out a piece of silk and a needle, beginning to stitch the flaps of skin together. "Make your stitches tighter and closer together," Davie observed and Eva did so. When she had finished treating the man he was groaning and pale, his skin clammy. She was suddenly glad that the fire was so warm, for it would likely help save his life after the amount of blood he lost. When she looked back he had fallen into a fitful sleep.

Eva quickly went around cleaning up the tools she had used and when she was done Davie looked at her with something akin to pride in his eyes. The door opened once more and a young serving girl came in bearing two covered plates. "The two of ye missed lunch," She explained. "Mrs. Fitz sent this up for ye."

Eva's stomach lurched. She did not think she would be able to keep down any food after witnesses the bloody mess that had been that young boys arm. Davie nodded, thanked the girl and sat with one of the trays motioning for her to join him. She sat across from him but did not touch her food.

"You're not eating?" He raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"No," Eva shook her head. "I'm afraid I'm not hungry after that." She motioned to the sleeping boy and Davie nodded.

"First time I had to amputate an arm I didna eat for near three days for fear of being sick. You get used to it, though."

"God I hope not."

"Go to your husband, girl. You did well today. I will sit with the lad and make sure he makes it through the night."

"Are you sure?" Davie nodded and Eva picked up her skirts, leaving the surgery behind as she went to find Jamie.

She found him down at the ferrier where he was assisting in the shoeing of a horse. He gave her a glance and a nod in return, but doubled back, dropping the hoof he was holding up causing the farrier to curse in frustration. He rushed over to her, grasping her arms tightly in his hands as he furiously looked her over.

"What happened to ye lass? Are ye alright? Come let's get you to the surgery!" Eva looked at him in confusion but suddenly she understood as she looked down at her blood stained dress. In her hurry to leave the surgery she had not thought to change; what must the servants be saying about her!

"It's alright, Jamie. It's not my blood," He sighed in relief and the tension noticeably went out of his shoulders. "There was an accident and Davie Beaton let me treat the boy who was injured."

"He did?" Jamie smiled. "That's fantastic!" Eva nodded. She was glad to be gaining more experience in the surgery and Davie Beaton's trust after all these months. Perhaps things were looking up for her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and favorited from last chapter! Please continue to review and let me know what you think!**

 **Soccer-Bitch: I'm glad you like it. The story will continue to be different than the show for the foreseeable future until we catch up to when the first episode begins.**

 **KitCat12: Glad you're still enjoying it!**

 **Geneva: Thank you for your review! Let me know what you think**

 **Mia: I too hate Laoghaire, but she is such a big part of the show I can't (unfortunately) just write her out. And don't you worry, there will be drama to come!**

Chapter 12: A Game of Poker

That night as Jamie and Eva finished dinner Angus came up to them, smirking. "Ye ready to lose all yer coin, lad?" He asked Jamie who grinned.

"As I recall, Angus, twas you who lost last time." Jamie replied.

"Aye," Angus muttered. "A way to lure ye into false confidence. Just you wait; tonight I'll scalp ye fer all yer worth!" Jamie chuckled and moved to another clear table with Angus, Rupert, and Murtagh, the latter of whom was holding a deck of cards. He shuffled the deck adeptly and quickly dealt out two cards to each man. Eva looked on in interest as she recognized the game quickly; it was poker, a game her uncle had taught her as a child.

"Care to deal me in?" She asked Rupert. The men looked at her in shock as she took a seat next to Jamie. "What? Are you afraid I'll beat you?" She smirked.

"Ladies donna play cards, lass." Rupert said in a tone similar to disgust. "Tis not proper."

"Most of what I do is not proper to you, Rupert. Besides, I'm not very good. You're likely to win all my money."

"Ye mean _my_ money," Jamie sighed and handed over a small pile of coins, a pile that was significantly smaller than his own. Eva knew he doubted her skill in the game but was determined to turn the small pile into a larger one by the end of the night.

Rupert quickly dealt Eva two cards and she groaned in frustration. A two of hearts and a six of clubs. 'What a shitty hand,' She thought to herself. Eva matched the men's bet and Rupert flipped over three more cards: three clubs. 'This could work,' Eva thought to herself. She raised by two coins and Murtagh folded, the others matching her bet. Another card was flipped. A six of hearts. Everyone knocked, signalling they were not raising their bets nor folding. When the final card was flipped Eva inwardly cursed. It was an ace of hearts. No one raised their bets and each held down their cards, revealing their hands. Angus had a two pair; two fives and two tens. He giddily reached forward and scooped his earnings into his pile, chuckling and giving Eva a smug look.

The next hand, Eva won with a full house. She copied Angus's gleeful look as she grabbed her winnings, bringing them into her own meager pile. The men looked at her in shock and she shrugged. "What? My uncle taught me how to play."

As the hour dragged on the five continued to play, Eva winning some and losing some. Eventually it was just her and Angus left, the other three having bowed out of the game, not wanting to lose anymore money. Angus was looking at her with a gleam in his eye that made Eva slightly nervous; he must have a good hand. She on the other hand, had the makings of a straight flush, but was with only one card left to be dealt in the middle, she wasn't very confident of her odds of winning.

"I raise ten," Angus smirked, counting out ten coins and tossing them into the growing pot. Eva felt sweat trickle on her brow. She would not win this hand, not unless eh bluffed and that was ar isk she wasn't sure she was willing to take with Jamie's money. After a quick internal debate she made up her mind.

"All in," She said in a voice sounding much more confident than she herself felt and she saw Angus's eyes widen and Jamie stiffen next to her. Eva watched Murtagh battle internally for a moment before he sighed.

"Fuck!" He all but yelled. "I fold." He threw his cards down revealing a straight; he would have won. "What did you have?" Eva revealed her cards and he hesitantly turned over the last card that would have been played, revealing it to be a card that would not have helped her win at all. Angus cursed in Gaelic loudly and shot her a scathing look.

"Ye bluffed!" He pointed an accusing finger at her. His face was red with drink, embarrassment, and fury and Eva began feeling uncomfortable as his ire grew. "Son of a whore, she bluffed!" He muttered under his breath for a few more moments before he turned to her once again. The grimace on his face melted and a wide smile broke out revealing a few missing teeth.

"Good game, lass. Tis not often I am outwitted at the table,"

"From what I understand, fi we get enough drink in you, Hamish could beat you." Eva replied with a small grin. Angus laughed loudly and clapped her on the back.

"Aye, that may be true,"

When Jamie and Eva retired to their chambers a short while later Jamie kissed her passionately, and when he pulled away Eva looked at him in slight confusion.

"Not that I am complaining, but what was that for?" He smirked in response.

"Do ye know how amazing that was to watch?" He began kissing the side of her neck. "Tis a rare sight to see Angus be beaten at cards,"

"But you beat him," She panted out.

"It doesna happen often, I promise ye that." His hand reached for her laces and began untying them. "Do ye know how beautiful ye looked tonight in the candlelight? Ye had this little crease in yer eyebrow as ye played," She was surprised to note that he had been observing her much more closely than she had previously thought. "And when ye bluff ye get a slight red tinge just here," He ran his hand over the tops of her breasts. "God, it made me want ye, lass." Eva looked into his lust filled eyes and kissed him deeply.

"Then take me,"

The next morning when Eva entered the surgery she was surprised to see that Davie Beaton was not present. The young boy she had treated the day before was still asleep, his chest rising in a steady rhythm that told her he would heal just fine unless something drastic changed. But Eva was feeling unsure about the absence of Davie Beaton. He practically lived in the surgery and was always there before she came and stayed after she had left.

The two plates the servant had brought up the day before still sat on the table where he and Eva had been yesterday, both plates eaten off of, although only one was completely empty of food. It appeared as if Davie Beaton had helped himself to her food as well as his own since she did not eat it. 'Perhaps he ate too much and was still sleeping it off,' she thought.

Eva quickly checked on the young boy, lifting the bandages and seeing that while the stitches were red and there was some bruises, there was no foul smell of infection or pus coming from the wound. She decided that changing his dressings could wait until after she found the true healer of Castle Leoch and set out towards Davie Beaton's rooms to rouse him. She was not positive where his rooms were, but knew that they were somewhere on the upper floors of the castle. She thought she could just roam the hallways until she found someone who could point her in the right direction.

Eva shivered and wrapped her arms around herself as she walked through the long and empty hallways that were devoid of any human life. Torches lit the way but gave off almost no heat to warm the cool air of the castle. She heard footsteps echoing on the stone floors behind her and turned, preparing to ask them for directions to Davie Beaton's room. What she found instead of a servant was an angry looking Dougal.

"What the devil are ye doing up here?" He sneered, grabbing her arm and meaning to drag her away. "Colum is looking for ye in the surgery; no one keeps the laird waiting!" Eva dug her heels in to stop him from dragging her away from the halls and back to the surgery but the man was much too strong for her and simply kept walking as if she were strolling along side him.

"Stop!" She cried. "You're hurting me!" Dougal loosened his grip slightly but did not slow his pace. "Wait! I'm looking for Davie Beaton!"

"What do you mean yer looking for Beaton?" Dougal shot her an incredulous look and finally stopped walking. "He's in the surgery, is he no?"

"He wasn't there when I arrived this morning. Unless he came when I was out looking for him," Dougal shook his head.

"No, he wasna there. I thought he had gone lookin fer ye," Eva shook her head.

"No," She ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "Can you take me to his rooms? I except h just overslept," Dougal nodded and led her back the way they had come. The two walked in silence for a moment before Dougal paused in front of a nondescript door and knocked loudly.

"Beaton, open up!" He called. There was only silence on the other end and the pair shared an uneasy look. Dougal knocked several more times with no response. After what seemed like forever Dougal kicked the door open without warning, causing Eva to squeak in shock at the resounding _bang_ as the door bounced on the wall and came swinging back on its hinges. Dougal elbowed it aside and stepped into the dark room, striding over to the bed. Eva followed behind him slowly as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room.

Soon, an unpleasant odor arrived at her nose and she wrinkled it in disgust. It smelled as though someone had soiled themselves throughout the night and had not made it to the chamber pot. As Eva's eyes adjusted to the darkness she could make out the faint shape of Davie Beaton lying on his bed, thrashing wildly about as if he were trapped in some awful nightmare.

Dougal went to shake him awake but ripped his hand back almost immediately, eyes wide. "Good God, he's burning up!" Eva's eyes widened as she stepped forward, lightly moving Dougal to the side. She felt her heart drop as she took in the sight of her mentor.

He was in a sleep shirt that was drenched in sweat, heavy beads of it rolling down his forehead and temples to pool at the pillow or on his chest. The blankets were wrapped around his waist and legs as he tossed and turned, groaning in agony.

Eva hesitantly placed the back of her hand on her mentors forehead flinching at the heat she felt. If she had to guess based on her twenty-first century experience he was running a fever well over 100; perhaps up to 102.

Eva knew how dangerous fever's could be ni this time period. While his body used up all of its resources to fight off an infection, it would drain necessary energy from other necessary body processes. Combined with the amount of sweating and the diarrhea that had seemed to inflict him in the middle of the night, he was likely dangerous dehydrated and needed fluids immediately if he were to survive.

"Quickly, bring him to the surgery!" Dougal nodded and scooped Davie Beaton up as if he were no more than a small child, practically running through the halls until they arrived at the surgery. "Put him there!" She motioned to an empty table that was used to treat patients and immediately set to build a fire in order to boil water.

"Run down to the kitchens. Tell Mrs. Fitz that I will need lots of cool water, broth, clean linens, mint, and ginger!" Eva ordered Dougal who looked slightly perplexed that a woman was ordering him about but nodded and took off nonetheless.

Once she was alone Eva began to examine Davie, trying her best to ignore the rancid smell coming from his body. It was clear he had a fever from his appearance, but Eva needed to gather the rest of his vitals as well as she could with limited tools. She quickly found his pulse on his wrist and was disturbed to find it was racing much too fast. She quickly moved up and down his body, examining him for any cuts or injuries that may have gotten infected or any rashes that might point towards the ailment but found nothing. It was not until she opened his eyes to find his pupils largely dilated that she began to suspect what was causing his illness.

"Master Beaton?" She asked in a soothing tone. "Have you hit your head recently?" Davie Beaton did not reply but simply continued to writhe in pain and fever, muttering incoherently under his breath.

Before she could inquire further the door banged open once more and Dougal reentered with several servants following him with the materials she had asked for.

"Dougal," He looked at her. "We need to bring his fever down if possible. I need you to wet those rags and place them on his forehead, the back of his neck, wrists, chest, and private areas." He nodded.

Eva quickly went over to the hearth and poured a small amount of hot water into a mug. She rummaged through the medicine cabinets until she found ground ginger root and sprinkled a generous helping into the cup, tr ying her best to make a simple ginger tea.

"Keep a steady stream of the coldest water you can find coming in here, do you understand?" Eva asked a nearby servant who nodded. "Keep putting cool water on him. It should help lower his fever a little." Dougal nodded and she walked over quickly, lifting his head and dripping some of the ginger tea into the healers mouth. Most of it dribbled out the sides, running in rivers down his chin and staining his already dirty shirt.

"What is that?" Dougal asked looking at the concoction.

"It's ginger tea. I'm hoping it helps calm his stomach some until I can find something better to counteract the vomiting and diarrhea.

Once she had gotten around half of the tea down his throat she set it aside and rushed to the bookshelves, thumbing through the tomes until she found the one she was looking for. Davie Beaton's journal was beaten with use and age, the corners curling in on themselves and the cover barely hanging on.

Taking a seat she began rifling through the pages, searching for a remedy for what she suspected was ailing him. She soon found a recipe for a potion that would help alleviate his fever and vomiting and st to mixing the ingredients. As she was grounding the yarrow root Dougal came up to her looking over her shoulder.

"What's wrong with him?" He asked in a gruff voice.

"I'm not positive," She grunted. "But it's likely one of two things. He either hit his head quite hard or," She swallowed hesitantly. "He was poisoned." Dougal looked at her in shock and shook his head.

"Why do you think that?"

"His pupils are dilated. There are very few things that cause that naturally. Those are the two most common," She explained.

"What else could cause his eyes to be so big?"

"Drugs, most likely a hallucinogen." Dougal shook his head.

"That's not likely; he knows what plants cause one to hallucinate. He would never eat it, especially with a sick patient," He motioned towards the young man who was still sleeping. "And I can't think of anyone who would want to poison him." He was now muttering to himself and Eva ignored him as she continued to mix the ingredients together and dumped them into a small cauldron where she could boil them into a tea.

She poured the aromatic tea into a mug and began helping her mentor drink it down slowly. His eyes opened wearily and looked at her. "Help me," His voice cracked and was dry with lack of use. Eva's heart broke slightly as she watched the man who looked full of life the day before, cry out in pain.

"Did you hit your head yesterday? Did someone attack you?" Davie shook his head and moaned once more. Eva quickly replaced the cloth on his forehead with a fresh one, soaping with cool water. He sighed in slight relief at the cool sensation and quickly fell into a fitful sleep.

"There's nothing more I can do for now; he needs to rest." Eva explained. "I'll stay with until he wakes again and then I'll give him some more medicine." Dougal nodded.

"Thank ye, Mistress." He bowed his head slightly and left the surgery, leaving Eva alone with her two patients.

She looked around the surgery in exasperation. Dust motes floated through the air as a stirp of sunlight flowed in through the pains. The floated in such easy rhythm that it calmed Eva's breathing ever so slightly. She shook her head twice to clear her thoughts before walking over to the young man from the day before and looking at his bandages once more.

She quickly changed them, adding fresh honey to counteract any infection and instructed the boy to go to the kitchens, get some broth and bread, and return to his rooms where he should continue to rest. He had made it through the night which indicated he would likely survive with nothing more than a scar. She gave him orders to return to her the next morning in order to change the bandage once more and that if he were to experience any sudden pain or notice black streaking in his arm to come to her at once.

Sighing, Eva began making more of the tea that Davie Beaton's journal had told her about. She made several batches, preparing for a long day and night of treating him and hoping that his fever would break and she could counteract the poison. She began looking through the book once more, hoping to find something about an effective way to counteract poison.

She almost cried in relief when she found a small inscription in the middle of the book that said mulberry leaves boiled in vinegar would help counteract poisons. She quickly set to making it, the unpleasant odor of the vinegar filling the room. She sat it on the table, allowing it to cool before she woke Davie Beaton and sat him up.

"Drink this," She whispered soothingly. "It will help you." He slowly drank the tea, coughing at the unpleasant taste but did not verbally complain. When he had finished it she quickly piled more blankets on top of him to his protest.

"No," He groaned, twisting. "I'm so hot, get them off!" Eva ignored him and stoked the fire. She was sweating profusely by this time but was hoping that she could encourage his body to sweat the fever out if she made the room hot enough. He soon fell back asleep, and Eva set to bathing him. While it may not help get over whatever was plaguing him, it certainly would not make him any worse. At the very least it would give her nose a reprieve.

She poked her head out of the surgery doors and noticed a servant walking by. "Excuse me," the girl turned at curtsied quickly in Eva's direction. "Could you please go to Master Beaton's chambers and collect two sets of clothes? Loose fitting and cotton would be preferable."

"Beggin yer pardon, Mistress, but Master Beaton doesna like when we go into his chambers."

"Trust me he won't mind." Eva said dryly. The girl nodded and scurried off to fulfill her task and Eva walked back down the steps.

She pulled one of the heavy buckets over to the table, the water in it now lukewarm. She dipped a clean piece of linen in the water, wringing it out and listened to the cheerful splash of water. Starting at his head she began to gently wipe away the sweat and grime that covered his body, rinsing out the rag after each pass.

She slowly ran the cloth down his arms and cleaned each of his fingers thoroughly. Sighing, she unlaced his shirt and with some difficulty and maneuvering was able to raise it over his head. He had a spattering of gray hair on his chest and a slight pouch on his belly, one of the few signs that he was an aging man. Eva carefully and gently continued to cleanse her mentor, hoping that he would feel better once he was clean.

By the time she had fully cleaned him the door opened and the servant arrived, carrying an armful of clothes. "Thank you," Eva said, nodding to the girl who nodded in return and left the room. Eva quickly dressed the man once more, covering him with blankets and stoking the fire again.

Exhausted, she collapsed into a chair near the table he was lying on and before she could help herself, she found herself drifting off to sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Hello everyone! Sorry for the break between chapters but I got a third job so I have been really busy with that. I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving with their families!**

 **This chapter is a bit shorter than some of the others but I wanted to get it out for you guys. The next one will be up by Friday hopefully and I'll make it extra long for you guys! Please review and let me know what you think!**

 **Mia: Thank you for your review!**

 **Kitcat12: We'll see what happens with him. We find out his fate next chapter!**

 **Gale Lover: I'm glad you like those scenes! They're so much fun to write!**

 **Child of Dreams: We'll see who did it and if it was intentional soon enough :)**

 **: You'll have to wait and see if that is why Davie wasn't around during Claire's time or if it's something Eva changed. Once we introduce Claire you'll see. I'm glad you are enjoying the story and like EvaxJamie so much :)**

 **Guest: I'm so happy to hear you are enjoying the story so far!**

Chapter 13: Blueberries and Night

Eva awoke with a start sometime later to a hacking cough coming from her left. She rose in a flurry of skirts and looked around bleary eyed to see Davie Beaton's eyes cracked open and his mouth twisted in a painful cough.

Eva quickly reached over for a mug of water and tipped it into his dry mouth. The man greedily drank and sighed in contentment when he had drained the liquid.

Gingerly Eva placed her hand on his sweaty forehead, checking his temperature. It was still hot and dangerously high, making Eva frown.

Nothing she was doing was seeming to work. She had searched endlessly though his journals to find remedies to combat the fever and symptoms but without knowing the true cause of the ailment she could do little more than pray for relief to come.

Sighing in frustration Eva resolved to at least make sure her mentor was as comfortable as she could make him whilst he remained in her care. She walked over to one of the many buckets which still housed water and dipped a clean cloth into it, wringing it out and wiping his forehead as gently as a mother would her sick child.

He again sighed in relief at the cooling sensation and made a noise of displeasure when she removed it. Dipping it back into the water she replaced it on his forehead and left it there to help cool his skin.

Not knowing what else to do, Eva did what she always did when bored or stressed; she cleaned. She began with the old dressings from the young man who had cut his arm. Tossing the rags into the fire, she began disinfecting the table with hot water mixed with alcohol. She then turned to the table where the two plates were still sitting and sighed.

As she began scraping the scraps from one plate onto the other she puzzled once again regarding what was afflicting her mentor. Something within her screamed that it was poison but all the potions that would be easily added to food were in the surgery. Davie Beaton practically lived within so it was unlikely that anyone would have been able to steal them.

As she went to tip the discarded food into a waste bin she noticed what she thought were blueberries but upon closer inspection realized they were too dark and the wrong shape. Setting the plates down and picking up a single berry, Eva's breath was shaky.

Her fingers trembled as she lifted the berry closer to her eyes in order to better inspect it. She ripped the berry open and despite her thoughts was still shocked to find that there was no green flesh within as there was on a blueberry, but rather just more dark blue.

Though not a botanist by any means she was fairly sure she knew what the berry was. She could distinctly remember when she had first moved in with her uncle finding a tree filled with berries just like the one she now held in her fingers. She had picked several, and brought them to her uncle to share. Rather than being pleased as she thought he would be, he angrily swatted them out of her hands and had yelled at her.

She had cried furiously, thinking her uncle hated her. It was not until later when he had explained his actions that she understood.

She had picked nightshade berries, a group of deadly berries that closely resembled edible ones. Her uncle had made her vow that day that she would never pick unknown berries again and she had hastily agreed.

The revelation made Eva feel sick. Had a kitchen maid picked the berries unknowingly? It was not likely for they grew on trees where as blueberries did not. There was also the matter that the berries were only present on one plate. It was nearly impossible to know who the plate was destined for, herself or Davie Beaton.

Unsure what to do with this information Eva let out a breath and collapsed onto a chair, her head in her hands. The new information combined with the stress of treating someone she did not think she could heal was causing an unpleasant pulsating behind her left eye and she gently rubbed her temples, trying to ease the tension.

When the door opened and hurried footsteps echoed down the stone stairs Eva stood to greet the newcomer. She nearly cried out with relief when she saw the familiar red curls.

"Sassenach!" Jamie cried bounding down the stairs. "Are ye alright? Dougal just told me what happened!" Despite the crude nickname that Eva had once hated so, she found herself feeling a sense of familiarity and love with the term coming from her husband. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, hugging him close and inhaling his scent deeply.

"I'm okay," she sighed. "I just wish there was more I could do besides try and keep the fever down. It's up to him now," Jamie nodded in understanding and kissed her quickly.

"Come on," he pulled her hand gently. "If we hurry we might catch the end of dinner." Eva hadn't even realized the sun had fallen as she kept herself occupied in the surgery and shook her head.

"I can't leave him," She explained. "Besides, I'm not very hungry." Jamie nodded in understanding.

"Okay, I'll bring you some food up to the room." Eva nodded and kissed her husband one more time before he left her with her dying patient.

She questioned whether she had made the right choice in not telling Jamie her suspicions regarding the poison's origins but thought that it would do little good in the long run. The last thing she wanted was to bring any danger to Jamie by involving him in a larger conspiracy. She would need to know more information before she told _anyone_.

When she awoke one more time it was because she felt someone hovering over her. She opened her eyes and saw a hand reaching out to her.

Startled Eva jumped up and flung her arm out in a protective measure, making contact with the strangers flesh.

"Fuck! Sassenach it's me!" Eva's eyes widened as the voice registered something familiar in her mind.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she saw Jamie hunched over and clutching a bleeding nose

"Jesus I'm so sorry Jamie! You scared me!" He looked up at her through watering iris's and smiled softly at her.

"It's alright, Sassenach." A droplet of blood escaped through his fingers and landed on the floor with a soft _plop_. "I didna mean to scare ye but it's late. Ye never came to the room so I came to fetch you." Eva nodded and sighed, looking around the surgery. Davie Beaton was still asleep where she had left him, his chest rising and falling in an uneven rhythm.

"Thank you for coming to get me Jamie, but," She looked once more over at her sleeping patient. "I can't leave him."

Jamie looked at her in concern and cupped a bloody hand to her cheek, sighing softly. "Ye need yer own sleep. Yer dead on your feet here and you said it yerself," His eyes were filled with a sorrow she had not yet seen there. "There is nothing more you can do for him." Eva opened her mouth to protest again but he stopped her. "Please, mo fiadhiach duine. Please come to bed with me." Eva pondered his offer for a few moments but finally acquiesced with a nod and took his hand lightly in her own. She stoked the fire one more time before brushing her hands on her skirts and walking up the stairs with Jamie behind her.

The trip to their rooms was silent, with Eva wondering how her patient would fare the night without her there and hoping that he would make it through the night, while Jamie was pondering how he could help his wife and keep her spirits up.

So deep in her thoughts, Eva did not realize they had gotten to their rooms and continued to walk. It was not until she realized that Jamie was no longer beside her that she paused and looked behind her to see him standing next to their chambers with his eyebrows raised.

"Going somewhere?" She blushed furiously and he chuckled, opening the door and waiting for her to pass through before he followed. She had gingerly on the bed, sighing in comfort at the softness of it.

"Oh, I had almost forgotten how comfortable this bed was." Jamie sat next to her and kissed her deeply.

"Tis much more comfortable with you in it, mo fiadhiach duine." Eva laughed and blushed once again, hitting him lightly on the arm.

"How long have you been waiting to say that line?" She giggled.

"All night," Jamie grinned and leaned over, kissing her again, deeper this time.

Despite her bodies weariness Eva felt herself respond to Jamie's kiss as his lips moved over hers and his tongue thrusted into her mouth, licking her teeth and stroking her tongue. She sighed into his mouth and turned her body more towards hist o meet him and give herself better access.

She swung a leg over Jamie's lap, so she was now straddling him and cupped his face between her hands as she continued to kiss him. After some time she pulled away and searched his eyes deeply.

"What is it?" He asked breathlessly.

Eva bit her lip in hesitation and looked away, avoiding his piercing gaze. "Mo fiadhiach duine?" His fingers tilted her chin back towards him and they were locking eyes once more. "You know ye can tell me anything, right?" Eva nodded and took a deep breath.

"I love you," She whispered softly. "I don't know how it happened, but God help me, I have fallen in love with you, James Fraser." Jamie said nothing, but a wide smile broke out across his face making him appear more youthful and boyish than he normally did.

"I love you too, mo fiadhiach duine." With that he pushed his lips to hers once more and placed his hands low on her hips.

Slowly, his hands traveled downwards, fisting the hem of her dress and bringing them back up over her hips and breasts. He pulled away for a moment in order to raise the dress over her head and when he did his gaze landed back on her eyes and then traveled to her breasts.

"Your so beautiful, mo fiadhiach duine." His eyes were heavy with lust and he moved his head closer to her, capturing a pink nipple in his mouth and sucking softly. Eva moaned lowly, grabbing fistfulls of his hair and massaging his scalp gently. Jamie soon switched to the other nipple, biting gently and swirling it with his tongue but Eva had enough.

She pulled away and nearly grinned at the confused expression on Jamie's face before she pushed him so he was lying on the bed and straddled him once more, pulling the hem of his shirt loose from his pants.

She kissed her way up his abdomen as she raised the shirt and when she reached his nipples she too lightly kissed, sucked, and bit them. Once the shirt was over his head, she reached down and undid the laces to his breeches with steady hands, which he then kicked off.

She straddled him once more, their naked bodies warm against one another and continued to kiss him. It was slow and deliberate. Eva thought she could stay just like that, kissing him, for the rest of her life.

Jamie slowly began to turn them around so she was laying on her back with him hovering over her. His fingers slowly traveled downwards and he inserted two into her, grinning when he felt how ready she was. Reeling back, he slowly thrust his hips forward and the two gasped at the sensation of him inside her.

Their pace was slow. Each thrust was designed to tighten the connection between them, each sigh a sound of love and encouragement, and each kiss or nibble a sign that they loved each other and could not think of being with anyone else.

Slowly, their paces began to increase as each neared their end. Jamie began grunting louder and thrusting harder and quicker into her until she felt his warm seed shoot out and travel into her. He continued thrusting after he had finished, reaching down and pinching a nipple tightly between his fingers. Eva screamed as the sensations of her husband still twitching inside of her combined with the pain of him pinching her pushed her over the edge.

When the two had slowed their breathing and gotten under the covers, Eva laid her head on Jamie's chest where she could hear his heart steadily beating. She knew that this time, their coupling had been different but she could not put her finger on what it was.

"Ort gaol agam," Jamie said heavily, kissing her forehead and falling asleep. It was then that Eva understood what had been so different.

"I love you too,"


	14. Chapter 14

**Authors Note: Another quick update. Next chapter will be longer - I promise! Things will also start to pick up speed and more drama will ensue! Thank you to those who reviewed! They truly do make my day! Let me know what you guys think!**

Chapter 14: Sorcery and curses

It felt good to sleep in, for Eva felt like she had not done so since she came through the stones. The sun was high in the sky by the time her eyes opened and Jamie was still snoring gently beside her. She felt a slight twinge of guilt knowing the Davie Beaton was lying down in the surgery fighting for his life while she lay in bed with her husband, warm and comfortable.

She rose from the bed and walked to the embers in the fireplace, throwing a log on and stoking the embers so that a fire would soon be roaring.

As she filled a glass with water Jamie stirred in bed and opened his eyes, squinting against the early morning light.

"Good morning," His voice was still thick with sleep.

"Good morning," She replied placing her glass back on the table with a soft thunk. "I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Jamie shook his head and yawned widely.

"No, I was just dozing; mostly awake." Eva nodded and smiled as he got out of bed wearing nothing but what he was born in. He walked over to the chair where his clothes had been discarded the previous night and she could not help but admire the view from behind.

Despite the criss-crossing of scars on his back it was well-toned and muscled, leading down to a firm buttocks and sinewy legs that were strong and muscular. "It's rude to stare, ye know," Jamie's voice was filled with amusement as he placed his shirt over his head, blocking her view of his back and buttocks.

"Well it isn't my fault that the view is so lovely," She grinned. Jamie turned and grinned back, walking over and placing a quick kiss on her lips.

"What are you doing today?" He asked.

"I need to get back to the surgery," She sighed. "Last night was the first time I have left him and I need to make sure he is still okay; give him another dose of medicine and all that. What about you?"

"Olde Alec thinks one of the mare's will birth her foal today," He explained as he continued to dress. "He wants me to stay up there until she does and help with the birthing." Eva nodded and followed suit, dressing for her day in her normal dress.

"Have you ever seen a horse give birth?"

"Oh aye, many times." He nodded. "Tis a bit messy but they usually can do it without help. We just watch to make sure it all goes well."

Once the two had finished dressing they went down to the hall to break their fast together. As they were sitting, eating a small helping of porridge Fiona came and sat next to them.

"Good morning, Fiona," Eva smiled at her friend. "How are you?"

"Blegh!" Fiona spat. "All the servants are up in arms about Davie Beaton and how sick he is!" Eva looked at her curiously. "They won't stop gossiping about what caused his sudden illness and it makes it so hard to get any work done!"

"What do they think caused it?" Eva asked curiously. Perhaps one of the servants knew something that could help her determine who had poisoned him.

"Oh what don't they think caused it?" Fiona snorted sarcastically. "Some of the laundry maids think he sold his soul to Satan and God is punishing him. Others think an evil sorcerer put a spell on him."

"Surely they don't really think someone cursed him?" Eva was shocked. She knew that superstitions roamed freely throughout Scotland, especially in this time, but for people to think her mentor had been cursed seemed extremely far fetched.

"Oh aye, they do," Fiona nodded. "In fact," She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Some of them think you are the one to do it." Eva gasped and looked at her with her mouth agape.

"Excuse me?" Her cheeks were bright red with anger. "Why would anyone _possibly_ think that?"

"Well," Fiona said uncertainty, seeming to realize her mistake in telling Eva the servants suspecians. "Ye are new to Castle Leoch and not long after ye came, Davie Beaton got sick. I wouldna put much stock in what they say, ye ken?"

"But I'm trying to save him!" Eva said exasperatedly.

"Aye, ye are," Jamie said placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "And Collum knows it. It matters not what the servants say as long as the Laird believes ye are innocent. Anyone can see ye have a pure heart, Eva. There is no evil in ye and we all know it." Fiona nodded her agreement.

"The servants are just bored, mo charaid. They will forget all about you within the week and find blame somewhere else. I promise ye," Despite jamie and Fiona's reassurances Eva still did not feel comfortable was very nervous. If she could not cure Davie Beaton, what would happen to her?

When Eva had left the breakfast hall sometime later she was still not feeling anymore reassured than she had when Fiona first told her of the servants suspecians. Jamie had left her to tend to the mare who would soon be going into labor and Fiona had gone to tend to her duties for the day, leaving her to tend to her sick patient.

The surgery was chilly with the morning air when she entered and she quickly started a fire to chase away the cold of the air and her heart. As she walked over to the table where Davie Beaton was lying she was troubled to see that his chest was not moving. Had he passed in the middle of the night?

She hurried over, pulling down the blankets and placing her fingers on the pulse point under his jaw, holding it there and holding her breath. After what seemed like hours but was in reality only a few seconds she felt a low pulse echo through his body. She sighed in relief for he was still alive, if only just.

Eva's relief quickly disappeared and she felt her stomach drop. His pulse was slow, body temperature colder than normal. Reaching up with shaking hands, Eva opened an eyelid to check his pupils reaction to light. They contracted, but only just. She then moved to his arm, extending it slightly and tapping just underneath the elbow.

Nothing happened and Eva's breath began coming in rapid, shallow breaths. Davie Beaton was unresponsive to light and sound, and his reflexes were no longer working. His pulse and body temperature had dropped drastically as well. All of these symptoms pointed to one thing and she did not want to believe it. Davie Beaton had fallen into a coma and would likely die before the next morning.

Gathering up her courage Eva left the surgery and walked the familiar path to the lairds study. She gently knocked and almost hoped he was occupied so she would not have to tell Collum the bad news.

"Enter," His voice sounded tired and strained as if he had not slept well the night before and she felt her heartbeat increase in nervousness.

Eva slowly opened the door and saw Column sitting at his desk surrounded by books and writing what appeared to be a letter. His birds were chirping merilly and the sun was streaming into his window, making the office seem like a warm and comforting place. Collum looked up as she softly closed the door and his eyebrows raised in question.

"Mistress Fraser, what ever can I do for you?" He asked placing his quill back in the inkwell and sitting back, motioning for her to sit across from him.

"It's Master Beaton, sir," She said shakily. Fiona's words from breakfast were swirling around her mind making her even more nervous. What if Collum thought she was responsible and jailed her or killed her on suspicion of witchcraft?

"I'm afraid he has taken a turn for the worse, sir. He has fallen into a deep sleep that I cannot rouse him from. If he is to survive it will be up to him and his body. I'm afraid there is nothing more that I can do for him," Collum nodded with a frown on his face.

"This is most disturbing news indeed. Do you know what caused his illness?" Eva remembered telling Dougal her earliest suspicions of either a head wound or poisoning and thought it best to keep the same story.

"It is impossible for me to know for sure without confirmation from Master Beaton," She said carefully. "But I believe he either suffered a head wound or was accidentally poisoned. Perhaps he Ate some rotten food which caused him to fall ill." Collum nodded, not saying anything for several moments.

"And what," He looked deep into her eyes. "Do you believe was the cause?"

"I'm afraid I cannot say with any certainty, sir." Collum seemed to accept her answer and nodded, dismissing her.

"I will send the priest down to deliver his last rites. I expect you to stay with him until he passes,"

"Of course. I will make him as comfortable as possible."

The priest had come and gone, blessing Davie Beaton's immortal soul and forgiving his sins. He had left hours ago and Eva had been alone, counting the breaths still coming from Davie. She was grateful for the solitude for the priest, Father Bain was a frightening man, pale and stern. The sun had set long ago and Eva knew she would not see Jaime tonight. If the foal had not been born yet, Jamie would likely spend the night in the stables with Olde Alec and the mare incase the babe came in the middle of the night, and if it had, he had likely been told that she would remain with Davie Beaton until he was no longer alive.

Eva sighed as she looked around. She had cleaned the surgery several times, disinfecting every surface, labeling jars and flasks of medicinal supplies, rearranging them alphabetically, then by size, then by frequency of use, and again alphabetically. She had nothing more to do to keep her mind occupied. While she believed that Davie Beaton would not make it until the morning, she knew that it was possible for coma patients to survive days, or even years.

She felt guilty for thinking it, but Eva secretly hoped that Davie Beaton did not last years, or even weeks. If she was condemned to watch over him until his soul left his body, she could imagine it being a truly awful experience to stay in the surgery, watching over a lifeless body.

As she continued to think about what her future held for her, Davie's condition, and the cause of it the sun slowly began to rise. Eva's eyes were heavy with exhaustion and her limbs felt as if blocks were tied to them. As the sun crested over the hills and bright light filled the surgery a shuddering breath came from the table, once, twice, then silence.

Eva stood on shaking legs and slowly walked over to the still body. Finding the spot on his neck again she placed her finger there gently and let out a shuddering sob. There was no pulse.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note: Hello all! I really enjoyed writing this chapter for some reason and I hope you all enjoy it as well! To all of you who wanted Davie Beaton to survive, I'm sorry but he had to die for certain things to happen. Thank you to all who reviewed, followed, and favorited. Please let me know what you guys think of this chapter!**

Chapter 15: The Jezebel

Time seemed to be frozen as silent tears ran down Eva's cheeks. Her vision was blurry as the tears marred her sight. She had not moved from her position hovering over Davie's still body, her fingers still placed on his neck praying a faint pulse would come. It never did.

She was unsure how long she stood there, silently weeping and standing over her mentor. She had tried so hard to save him and had failed; she had failed not only Davie Beaton, but Castle Leoch as a healer and she hated herself for it.

Eva briefly remembered one of her first nursing courses in university that had discussed the passing of a patient. It was on the first day of lessons and the professor spoke about how devastating the loss of any patient could be, but that the first one was always the hardest. Her advice had always been to never treat someone you knew, a rule that Eva had clearly broken, and to compartmentalize work from one's personal life so that the lines did not blur. This way, when a patient passed, you could continue with your life. For if you let every death affect you, you would never survive as a nurse.

'Easier said than done,' Eva thought. She had always struggled with compartmentalizing and not letting things out of her control affect her. She had always hated failure of any sort, and not being able to cure Davie Beaton was a failure of the largest magnitude.

At some point a serving girl had entered the surgery with a bowl of soup for Eva to eat. She did not say anything but upon seeing Eva crying over the former healers body, silently turned and went back up the stairs. Soon the surgery was bustling with servants as they came to prepare the body for funeral services and she was gently ushered out by Mrs. Fitz.

The castle matron whispered soothing words into Eva's ears that she did not hear as Mrs. Fitz led the crying girl to the kitchens, where she sat her down and pushed a steaming mug of tea into her hands. Eva did not drink it, but rather held it in her hands. The heat from the clay mug traveled up her arms and helped to warm her cool body while the fragrant steam helped calm her breathing.

"Drink up, lass," Mrs. Fitz crooned. "Twill help ye calm yer mind and settle yer nerves." Eva silently nodded and took a sip, the hot liquid burning down her throat and warming her belly in a comforting way.

As Eva continued to drink the hot tea she slowly felt the tension easing from her body and her eyes growing heavy. She was so tired, for even though she had slept the night before, the stress of caring for another and losing him had weighed heavily on her mind. "Let me go and fetch young Jamie for ye, lass." Mrs. Fitz's voice interrupted her thoughts and Eva shook her head vigorously.

"No, he's needed at the stables," Her voice was thick and groggy. "Old Alec needs him."

"So do you, lass." Eva shook her head once again.

"He needs to help with the birthing," She explained through the fog in her mind. She wasn't sure that she was making sense, but had to try nonetheless. "He's needed more there." Eva looked up into the face of Mrs. Fitz who looked down at her in concern. "Please, don't tell him yet. He will find out soon enough, I'm sure."

Hesitantly Mrs. Fitz nodded. "Alright," She fluffed her skirts and held a hand out for Eva. "At least come with me, Mistress. We need to get ye to bed; yer dead on yer feet." Eva nodded and shakily stood, holding onto Mrs. Fitz like a lifeline.

"Why am I so tired?" She yawned rather largely.

"Tis the tea," Mrs. Fitz said matter of fact as she all but dragged Eva down the halls. "Tis a brew of valerian; does wonders to help settle the mind and help one sleep." Eva looked at her in shock and froze in her steps.

"You drugged me?" Mrs. Fitz smiled warmly as a mother would a petulant child.

"You aren't the only one knowing the ways of certain herbs and medicinals, ye ken? Ye need yer rest and this is the only way to keep ye calm right now."

"But I'm needed to help prepare Master Beaton!" Eva's mind was going a rapid pace as she thought of all the things needed to prepare for the funeral, a challenging task as the valerian was quickly doing its job of making her more and more tired. It would need to be held as soon as possible so that the body did not start decomposing before being placed in the ground. He would have to be washed, dressed, and the service organized.

"Never you mind that," Mrs. Fitz waved a hand and began walking again, all but dragging Eva. "This is not the first funeral I've had to assist in organizing, nor will it be the last I'm sure. You rest, and I will take care of everything. I'll be sure to wake ye before the service begins." The pair had arrived at Eva and Jamie's bedchamber and her mind was swirling with information that she had to wade through in the drugged state of her mind. "Now go in there, and rest. Ye did the best ye could in saving Mr. Beaton and no one blames you for his death." Eva wondered how Mrs. Fitz knew that was what was weighing most heavily on her mind but before she could ask, Mrs. Fitz opened the door and all but pushed Eva in.

Once the door had closed Eva could hear Mrs. Fitz's footfalls echo down the hallway as she went to prepare the funeral. Eva sighed, walked over to the bed and collapsed into it, sleep enveloping her.

Eva awoke to a loud banging coming from her chamber door. She sat up with a loud gasp, holding her head which was aching something fierce. Through the pounding coming from her temples Eva could make out the loud shouting coming from the hallway; there was several people it sounded like, and they were angry.

Her heart pounding in fear, Eva got out of the bed and grabbed a candlestick, holding it out in front of her as a weapon. The door was vibrating with the shouts and pounding of fists as the mob attempted to knock down her door and she began to make out what they were saying.

"She's a witch!"

"She murdered Beaton!"

"Kill her!"

"She will kill us all!"

Her worst fears were coming true. People blamed her for Davie Beaton's death and were seeking vengeance. Not only that, but they were accusing her of witchcraft - a death sentence in this time.

The door splintering work her from her stupor and she shouted back at the angry mob. "Leave me alone! Please, I didn't do anything!" The mob ignored her pleas and continued pounding away at the door. Within moments a loud splintering broke the air as the door caved in and a group of about fifteen people poured into the room. They pounced onto Eva, ripping the candlestick from her hands and tying her arms behind her back. A blindfold was placed over her eyes and they pushed her from the room. Eva stumbled down the hallway, unable to see where she was being led by the angry crowd who pushed and prodded at her with sticks and shouted vulgar things at her.

Soon the tone of the voices changed and they began to echo and fade into the background. Before long they were gone entirely and a loud bang indicated a door was being shut behind her, trapping her in an unknown location.

The blindfold was ripped from her face and Eva shut her eyes against the light that assaulted them. Once her eyes adjusted to the light she looked around in confusion; she was in a room she had never seen before.

The walls were covered in stone but bare of any tapestries or decoration that would indicate it was a room to live in or one that was used frequently. A small fire was alight against the far wall and torches lit the room. In front of her was a single chair that was empty. Eva felt her stomach drop in fear; what was this place?

"Sit down," A deep voice growled from behind her, making her jump. She whirled around to see Dougal standing tall and imposing over her. His eyes were cold and she saw none of the warmth she had previously seen there. "Now," Eva did not move. Her feet were frozen to the ground in fear and her body began to shake.

Dougal ran out of patience and gripped her arm tightly, causing her to cry out in pain as she bruised. He manhandled her across the room and forced her down into the chair where he circled her, much as a wolf would its prey before leaping in for the kill.

"Now," He drawled out as he continued circling her. "I am going to ask ye some questions and ye are going to answer me true. If ye do I shall let you go. If not," He drew his blade from its sheath and stroked it as if it were a purring cat. "Well, ye willna like it." Eva's breath came in shudders as fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins.

"What caused Davie Beaton's death?" He asked.

"He was poisoned," She panted out. "The poison ravaged his body before I could stop it; I tried everything I could."

"Who poisoned him?" Dougal approached her menacingly.

"I don't know! I found nightshade berries in a plate that he ate from! It could have been anyone!" Dougal paused and looked at her in curiosity.

"Interesting," He said slowly. "The two of you typically dined together in the surgery, no?" The question was a rhetorical one. "So how is it that he came to be poisoned, and not you? Perhaps it is because _you_ are the one who poisoned him?"

"No!" Eva cried out. "I left him because I wasn't hungry! I didn't do it!" She could not believe this was happening. She had tried with everything she had to save her mentor and was being blamed for his death regardless.

"You weren't hungry because of the guilt you felt over poisoning him!" Dougal shouted.

"No! We had just amputated an arm! I couldn't eat after that! I swear to you!"

"Stop lying!" Dougal's arm flashed across her vision and a sting of pain swam across her cheek. He had cut her with his dagger.

Eva gasped in shock and pain, unable to hold her burning cheek as her arms were still tied behind her back. "I'm not lying, please you have to believe me!"

Dougal did not respond but instead paced in front of her. "How is it that you came to Clan MacKenzie?" Eva was surprised at the turn of questioning. Where did he hope this would lead him?

"I told you, I got lost and fell; you found me!"

"Aye, a most bonny coincidence. We find a pretty young lass on the side of the road, take her in. Then we start experiencing ill omens of all sorts.

"First young Travers falls and cuts his arm open; the lad was always sure footed before. Then Jamie is found by redcoats. Next Davie Beaton falls ill and dies; the man was always in bonny health before ye came. Tell me, sassenach _wench_ , what curse did ye place on us? On young Jamie to make him fall between your thighs?"

"There's no such thing as curses!" Eva cried out desperately. Things were quickly spiraling out of control and she feared that there would be no coming back from this.

"Stop lying!" Dougal's face was the image of fury. His cheeks were scarlet and his hair stood out on end.

"I'm not, I swear to you I didn't do anything malicious! I tried to save Davie Beaton but I couldn't! I didn't curse anyone, not Clan MacKenzie or Jamie! I fell in love with him."

"That is the biggest lie of all," Eva's eyes widened even more than they previously were and she whirled around. In all of the shouting she had not heard the door open and close again. Standing in the doorway with a deep set frown on his face was her husband. His eyes were red from crying and she knew something wasn't right.

"The biggest lie I think I have ever heard, in fact," Eva could feel fresh tears coming from her eyes at his words. "Ye never loved me nor anyone. A witch has no heart, no soul to feel love with." He spat walking closer to her. "Ye cursed me and placed a spell on me to make me think i loved ye," He bent down so that they were at eye level with each other. "But the truth is clear to me now. I donna love ye and I never will." With that, he reached behind her and plucked her wedding ring from her finger.

"Ye dinna deserve my ring, my name, or my protection. Ye are nothing, you Jezebel. I hope ye burn in hell for what ye've done." With that, he walked from the room, her cries to him falling on deaf ears.

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	16. Chapter 16

**Authors Note: Hey hey all! I know it's been a few weeks since I last updated, but fret not- I have not abandoned the story! Working three jobs leaves me with very little time to write, but I have Thursday off so I'm hoping to get the majority of the next chapter written then and the next one posted by Monday!**

 **The response to the last chapter was amazing! Thank you to all who reviewed, favorited, and followed! Im so glad you guys are enjoying the story and my take on it. Very soon we will meet Claire and her story will be added in, with some slight differences of course!**

 **Please don't forget to let me know what you think of this chapter!**

Chapter 16: The funeral

Eva sat up with a start, the cool air refreshing on her hot skin. Beads of sweat pooled on her hairline and had gathered under her body, dampening the sheets beneath her. She placed a hand on her beating chest, taking deep breaths in an effort to calm herself. Looking around with wide eyes, she saw that she was alone in her and Jamie's room. A fire was crackling merrily in the hearth and the windows showed a scattering of stars across the sky. The peaceful images served to help her calm her breathing and heart rate.

"It was only a dream," She whispered to herself. Knowing she could not get back to sleep, Eva swung her legs out from under the covers and hissed when they touched the cold wood panels on the floor.

The cool air instantly dried the sweat on her body, making her shiver and she walked slowly over to a chair in front of the fireplace, sitting in it and staring into the flames. The orange heat hypnotized her as she watched them greedily eat up the logs within the hearth leaving nothing but gray ash behind.

Eva heard the door softly open and close as if the person who had entered was afraid of waking her due to the lateness of the hour but Eva would not be sleeping for the remainder of the night; of that she was sure.

Soft footfalls came closer to where she was sitting and when a warm hand came down on her shoulder she couldn't help but flinch.

"What are you still doing up?" Jamie asked, his voice thick with exhaustion. The day had clearly worn on him as well as her; his eyes were red and swollen and his hair was an unkempt mess as if he had run his fingers through it multiple times.

"Hey," she looked up at him smiling softly, though it did not reach her eyes. "How is the mare?"

"The foal dinna make it," he sighed heavily and Eva felt her stomach tighten. Was her dream correct? Was she cursed to cause death no matter where she went?

"What happened?"

"The babe just wasna strong enough. It happens often with the first one a mare brings into the world." Eva sighed and looked up at him in sadness.

"I'm sorry," He shook his head to indicate it was not her fault and held out his hand to her.

"Come, let's go to bed. Tis late and I miss my wife." Eva grasped his hand loosely in her own, feeling the contrast between them. While her hands were cool his were warm and more calloused than her own. The roughness soothed her nerves and she followed him into bed.

When they had settled, Jamie leaned over, kissing her neck and sighing into her hair. As he continued, he hovered his body over her, beginning to gyrate his hips into her own. Eva lay there, not responding, feeling uncomfortable for some odd reason. She tried to separate her mind and get into the moment with her husband, but drastically failed.

She could not place her finger on the why of it; her and Jamie had laid together countless times and it had nearly always been a perfect melding of their bodies and souls. But tonight, Eva could not let go of her subversive thoughts and get in the mood. Jamie looked up at her, eyes filled with lust and confusion and frowned at her.

"What's wrong, _sassenach_? Why do you not react?" Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and Eva swallowed harshly. Why _wasn't_ she reacting? She did _not_ want to cry; there was no real reason for her to cry but the more she tried to fight the tears the more frequent they came.

Jamie reeled back in horror, looking at her shocked. "What is it, mo fiadhiach duine? Have I hurt ye?" Eva shook her head furiously and rolled onto her side, back facing Jamie and cheeks red with embarrassment. Silently she hoped he would ignore her tears and simply go to sleep. "Why do you cry? What is it?"

"It's nothing, I'm sorry. Forgive me," She brushed her hands under her eyes, swiping away the tears and sniffling. Jamie placed a delicate hand on her shoulder, and turned her body so she was facing him.

"When we wed we promised each other no lies. Please, mo fiadhiach duine, tell me what troubles you," His eyes were desperately pleading with her to open up and she bit her lip hesitantly.

"It's silly," She whispered. "I'm afraid you'll think less of me or that I am weak," She admitted. She had not realized that she felt that way until the words had passed her lips. With another furious blush Eva silently berated herself for being so weak.

"Nothing you could tell me would make me think less of you, my love. Please, tell me." With a floodgate of emotion Eva steeled herself to telling him and opened her mouth. Out flowed everything she was feeling and through it all Jamie listened silently.

She told him how she was lonely in this strange world, feeling like an outsider within Castle Leoch. How she missed her Uncle and her friends. She told him how she felt like a complete failure for not being able to save Davie Beaton and her awful dream where everyone blamed her for it and Jamie had forsaken her, leaving her to be beaten by Dougal. Finally, she told him how she feared she was cursed. That it was her fault her parents, Davie Beaton, and the foal had all died.

As she said the words, she felt even more ridiculous for her train of thoughts but Jamie did not make her feel embarrassed. He held onto her as she cried and soothed her by running his hands through her hair. When she had finished he simply looked at her and then gave a small smile, kissing her gently on the forehead.

"You, my beautiful wife are not cursed. Ye are a blessing for ye have shown me happiness when I had verra little. Ye may not have saved Beaton, but what of the boy ye saved. Had it not been for you he would have lost his arm at the verra least, if not his life. Ye saved him from infection and death. We canna save everyone, and what truly matters is the ones you do save, not the ones you lost.

"Yer parents death wasna yer fault either. Death is a cruel master and he takes the living when it suits him. Ye told me once that yer Uncle tried to make you into a woman your parents would be proud of, yes?" Eva nodded. "He succeeded. You sat with Davie Beaton nearly non-stop and tended to him when you were falling over with exhaustion. You care for your patients with such astounding gentleness it takes my breath away. You make me proud to call myself your husband and to share my bed with you. And one day, you will have a bairn of your own and you can teach him all the wonderful things about how to care for others so selflessly as you do." Fresh tears gathered in Eva's eyes as she listened to the sweet words coming from Jamie. She smiled at him and kissed him softly on the lips.

"Thank you," She placed her lips against his again. "Thank you for listening and talking me through it." Jamie gathered her up in his arms and kissed the top of her head gently.

"I love you, mo fiadhiach duine."

"I love you too,"

Davie Beaton's funeral would be held at high noon following the viewing of the body. Eva had not been to a funeral since her parent's and was not looking forward to the experience. While funerals were meant to be a celebration of life, Eva always struggled with the celebration aspect of it, holding onto her fears of her own death that would eventually come and the death of her loved ones. She was dressed in a simple black mourning gown and walked with Jamie who was similarly dressed in black down to the great hall where the viewing would take place.

As she entered the hall her nose twitched with the heavy perfume of incense to disguise the smell of a rotting corpse, and she looked around at the other mourners, also dressed in black. Many of them were dry-eyed and Eva steeled herself, vowing that she would not break down in front of the inhabitants of Castle Leoch.

Her and Jamie walked hand in hand down the main aisle and stood in the line of mourners who would pray for Davie Beaton's soul. The line steadily moved forward and people murmed quick prayers and hopes for his eternal peace.

When Eva laid her eyes on the former healer she gasped. His body was so pale and still, he could have been sleeping had he had more color to his complexion. A wooden plate was resting on his chest, filled with dirt and a white substance that was either salt or sugar.

"The dirt is so his soul knows it will be returned from where it came. The salt is to prevent his spirit from returning and haunting the castle." Jamie explained quietly, not wanting to disturb the mourners. Eva nodded, noting the tradition with interest.

As their turn approached Eva's breath hitched. She was nervous for some reason and was not sure she was prepared to face her mentor for the last time. When it was her turn, she knelt next to the body, clasped her hands together and murmured her prayer under her breath.

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." It was the same prayer uttered at her parents funeral, and had resonates deep within her. Crossing herself she stood to the side as Jamie murmured his own prayer.

When he finished he came over to her, grasping her hand and kissing her wrist gently. The two of them stood, chatting with the other mourners for some time until a series of bells began to ring. Father Bairn walked up to the dias where the body was laying and began the funeral procession.

The funeral was long and sollumn with many prayers and psalms being chanted by the crowd. When the service had ended, several of the men, Jamie among them walked forward and grasped the edges of the platform Davie Beaton was lying on. In unison they walked out of the hall and onto the Castle grounds. The crowd followed, and Eva, unsure what else to do, followed as well.

The men continued walking, their steps sure and unfaltering as they carried their heavy load to a small plot of land where a hole had been dug. In unison the men gently lowered the platform with the body on it into the hole before standing up and stepping back.

Father Barin stepped forward once more, clutching a handful of dirt in his fist. As he sprinkled it into the whole he recited the Lord's prayer. Instinctively, Eva joined in the refrain, even though she rarely went to church. With the final word, _amen_ , mourners stepped forward, picking up a small handful of dirt and sprinkling it into the hole.

Eva watched this process with mixed fascination and morbid curiosity. It was not until Jamie came up to her and nudged her forward that she realized she too, was expected to participate.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Eva picked up a small handful of soil. The earth was cool and damp in her hands and as she looked down into the hole she was somewhat relieved to see that enough dirt had already been thrown in to mostly cover the body. With a final good-bye to her mentor, Eva added her handful to the hole and walked away, rejoining Jamie and grasping his hand.

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	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17: An Unexpected Ride

Davie Beatons funeral had passed and after the appropriate time of mourning, the inhabitants of Castle Leoch had moved on, resuming their regular activities and chores. Chambermaids changed linens and emptied chamber pots, Mrs. Fitz ran the kitchen with an iron fist, and Jamie was frequently in the stables, training one horse or another.

Eva spent most of her time in the surgery as she had little idea of where else she could be of use. She did not know how to sew and mend clothes, she had never needed to cook large meals in the twenty-first century, and she _never_ made her bed at home, not seeing the point of it as a few hours later she would be back in it and mess it up.

The surgery had been slow, with few ailments coming in. The few injuries Eva had seen to had been minor in nature, the most serious of the lot requiring only a handful of stitches. Eva spent much of the time staring into the flames that warmed the stone faced room, wondering what had become of her mentor and what the larger implications were.

His death had affected her, that much was clear. Jamie had noticed her pull away from him more frequently and shy away from his touch at night. The few times they had joined their bodies she had been stiff and not nearly as enthused as she typically was. When he had asked her about it, Eva pulled away emotionally, feigning tiredness and claiming she was not feeling well; that she probably just needed a good night's rest.

Her sleep had been plagued with nightmares since Davie Beatons death. Strange creatures chased her and mocked her, whispering vile and evil things into her ears that she could not remember upon waking.

Despite all of this, Jamie had been wonderful. He had shown extraordinary patience and kindness towards her as she pushed him away and sunk into a deeper despair. She was disturbed from her thoughts when a hand clamped down on her shoulder, starling her. She had been so deep in her thoughts, the fire soothing her in a way she had not felt in days, that she had not heard the door open nor the footfalls of the person.

She whirled around and looked into the concerned eyes of Fiona who was frowning and looking at her with an expression akin to pity. "I'm sorry to frighten you," Her voice was calm and raspy, soothing Eva's frazzled nerves.

"Nonsense," Eva brushed it off and stood, facing her friend. "I was just deep in thought. What can I do for you?" Fiona's eyes glistened in mischief and she smiled widely.

"It's what I can do for ye, rather." Eva looked at her in concern. "Ye need to get out of this room and out of this castle. Ye spend yer days in here, mourning and alone. You aren't helping anyone with it and ye'll only get yerself sick."

"A man died, Fiona!" Eva suddenly felt very defensive. She had failed to save Davie Beaton and was punishing herself for it. Why could none at Castle Leoch see that and let her be alone in her thoughts?

"Yer right," Fiona sighed. "A man did die. It was tragic and he was young, but when God calls upon his servants to return to him the soul must abide. Ye did what ye could and none could have saved him, save the Lord himself. You sitting here, feeling sorry for yerself and pushing away yer husband does no good to anyone," Eva shot her a look; how did she know she was pushing Jamie away? Had he said something. "He dinna say naught to me, but I could see it at dinner last night," Fiona explained. "We need to get ye out of here and into some fresh air. Come on a ride with me and feel the breeze on yer face. I'm sure it would do ye a world of good."

Eva pondered Fiona's suggestion for a moment. She had a point; each time she had gone riding when she had first arrived at Castle Leoch it served to calm her mind and soul. It was those early rides that had cemented her and Jamie's relationship and brought them closer together.

"Okay," Fiona smiled widely. "But won't they be upset that we are leaving without an escort? Jamie always said I shouldn't leave without one."

Fiona brushed off her friends concerns and grasped her arm, pulling her from the surgery. "We'll stay close to the castle. Now come! I want to show you something!" Eva followed Fiona through the bowels of the Castle and to the stables where two horses were already tacked and ready to go. Eva gave Fiona a look with a raised eyebrow. "I wasn't going to let you stay in that room no matter what you said," She shrugged as it that was excuse enough.

Eva chuckled slightly to herself and swung her leg over her horse, settling herself in the saddle.

While Eva was still not a master rider, she was much more confident abroad a horse than when she had first arrived. Her and Fiona set off at a brisk pace and entered the woods surrounding the Castle, taking a path that Eva had not been down before.

The two rode in silence, the only sound breaking the silence being the chirps of birds and the heavy _clops_ of the horses hooves on the packed earth. As they continued to ride, Eva was disgruntled to find that Fiona was right. She _was_ feeling better with a bit of fresh air. The day was abnormally warm for the early spring and a breeze came up behind her, ruffling her hair in a playful manner. Eva breathed in deeply, letting the scent of the earth and pollen fill her lungs and relax her.

The two rode in silence for a bit longer until they broke through the trees and a babbling stream lay before them. The stream was wide, but did not seem too deep so that one could not wade across if they had a desire to. Cattails decorated the banks in clusters and the water to was clear Eva could distinctly see the bottom without trouble.

Without warning Fiona swung off her horse, kicked off her shoes and rushed into the water with her servants dress still on. The water went up to her waist and she laughed in delight, splashing water in Eva's direction.

"Come on," She shouted in delight. "The water is perfect!" Eva smiled at her friends light-heartedness and followed suit, toeing off her shoes delicately and walking into the water.

"This is perfect?" She hissed in shock at the cold water. "It's freezing!" Fiona laughed and splashed more water at her, soaking the bodice of her dress.

"Don't be such a _leanabh_! Come in and have some fun!" Eva did not know what _leanabh_ meant, but based on Fiona's tone it was meant to provoke her into the water. Eva sighed, took several steps further into the water and plugned herself down to her neck, thoroughly soaking herself. Fiona laughed in delight and the two friends swam around, laughing, and splashing each other as they forgot their troubles.

Sometime later, when their lips had turned blue and they could no longer keep the shivers from their bodies the two left the river and discarded their dresses, handing them over a nearby log in the sun to dry. Likewise the two woman were laying in a patch of grass in the sun, drying themselves and their shifts with the power of the sun.

The two lay in silence for some time, Eva's eyes closed and her body warm with the sun as she thought back on her tim in the Scottish Highlands. She found that while she missed her home and her Uncle, the ache was not as deep as it had once been. Jamie and the inhabitants of Castle Leoch were filling the hole in her chest and giving her a new family.

"Can I ask ye something?" Eva opened her eyes and looked at Fiona who was staring at her with a serious face.

"Of course." She looked over at her friend in concern. Fiona swallowed nervously and looked down at her hands which she was wringing together.

"When you first," She struggled to find the words. "Found out about _me_ ye reacted in a way I had not expected." Fiona looked up and Eva was confused. "When ye found out who I like to lay with," She specified and Eva suddenly understood where this conversation was going. "Ye didna shun me or tell me I was possessed by the devil. Ye acted as if it were normal." Fiona trailed off as she struggled to find the words to continue. "Is it like that where ye are from?"

"Well yes and no," Eva replied, picking her words carefully. "Where I come from, all are free to love whom they wish to. Some people don't like it and may shun those whose preferences are not necessarily," She struggled to find the right word. " _Traditional_. But personally, I see no harm in it. What happens between two people should stay there and none should dictate who another loves. The heart wants what the heart wants and none can stop it. Love is the most powerful weapon on earth. Trying to stop it is like trying to stop a freight train." Fiona looked at her in confusion. "Er, like trying to stop a runaway caravan." Fiona nodded in understanding.

"But how do ye know?"

"Know what?"

"Love,"

"People used to say to me, 'You just know'. And that always bothered me." Eva admitted. "I couldn't see how it was something you knew; surely there must be signs or something." Fiona nodded. "For me, I knew I loved Jamie when I thought about him constantly. I yearned for when we would see each other again, and seeing him was the best part of my day. I knew when I got this pit in my stomach when we would part, like a part of me was being taken with him. And the only thing that eased that ache was when we were together again. I knew when I began to feel safe in his arms and when I knew I could tell him anything and he would never judge me." Fiona nodded thoughtfully. "Why do you ask?"

Before Fiona could reply a loud rustling broke the peacefulness of the stream. Two redcoats emerged from the brush, talking in frustrated tones at one another. They had yet to notice the two girls and continued their conversation. From what Eva could gather, the two were redcoat deserters and were seeking a safe place to hide before returning to England.

There was nowhere safe for the two girls to hide and they were left terribly exposed. It was only a matter of time before they were spotted.

The two redcoats saw the two girls sitting on the grass in nothing more than their underclothes and grinned at each other.

"Well, what do we have here, rich?" One said with a sick grin in his face. "Two little girls just for us?" The two men approached the girls steadily and Eva looked around. The horses were tied up a good distance away and they would never make it that far.

Scrambling to their feet the two girls began running back towards the castle. Hopefully column would understand why they had left the horses if they indeed made it back.

A hand reached out and grasped a loose piece of hair in Eva's head, wrenching her back. She cried out in pain and lost her footing, falling to the ground. Fiona was ahead of her and turned back, looking at her friend with desperation in her eyes.

"Run!" Eva screamed. If she could occupy the redcoats then hopefully Fiona could return to the castle and get help. "Go! Run, fi!" Fiona nodded in understanding, turned, and ran as fast as she could. The second man hesitated, torn between letting Fiona go and simply claiming the prize on he ground before him. After a moment of deliberation he made up his mind, walking up to Eva and pushing her into her back.

Eva struggled as grubby hands reached for the hem of her shift and tried to raise it. She kicked and scratched, trying to keep them off of her, but one man held her arms down with bruising force while the other pushed his hips into hers, trapping her.

"I always wondered what a Scottish whore was like," the man on top of her sneered.

Eva screamed at him and spat, finding her mark on his cheek. The man paused, wiping her spit from his face and glared down at her. Fire erupted across her face as he struck her hard, his ring cutting into her cheek. Eva cursed at him and continued fighting as best as she could to no avail.

Her skirts were lifted dangerously high and Eva's determination was being replaced by sheer terror and an uneasy acceptance as to what would become of her.

She began to stop revisiting, lying prone and closing her eyes sending up a quick prayer that Jamie would not be the one to find her mangled body.

A scream of pain interrupted her prayer and the next thing she knew there was a heavy weight upon her. Moisture permeated her gown and the coppery scent of blood invaded her nose.

The gray eyes of the man who had been atop of her stared blankly ahead in death. Pushing him off of her Eva scrambled back, her breath coming in quick gasps.

" _Sassenach_!" Her wise eyes looked up and focused on her husband. He was frowning, his eyes concerned and narrowed in anger. "Are ye alright?" Eva nodded and he lifted her by the arms, embracing her tightly. "He dinna hurt you?"

"No he didn't have time thanks to you." Jamie's breath began to slow and he pulled away from her, cleaning his blade in the grass, whipping away the blood of the redcoat. Eva stared at him, a sense of relief at her safety embracing her. When he had finished cleaning his blade he resheathed it d ran his hands through his mop of tousled curls.

Sighing, he broke the pregnant silence. "I'm waiting for you to say something, anything that approaches an apology."

"An apology?" Eva frowned. "Are you trying to say that this was my fault?"

"Well it is yer fault." Jamie's voice raises into a low yell. "If ye had stayed in the castle like I told ye none of this would have happened. But why mind me? I am not but yer husband. Ye take it in yer mind to do what you damn please and the next i ken, i find ye flat on yer back with yer skirts up and worst scum of the earth about to take you before my very eyes."

"I went for a ride, Jamie! I needed to get out of the castle before I lost my sanity!" Her voice raised so it matched decibels with his. "But what would you know of that? I'm only a woman. Why should you pay any attention to my needs?"

"If ye had obeyed me I wouldna just exposed myself to red oats who want my head on a spike."

"And that's all women are good for is it? Obeying their husbands?" Jamie grasped her shoulders tightly, bruising her upper arms and shaking her.

Instinctively Eva reached forward and struck in across the cheek. Jamie relaxed his grip on her and looked at her with malice.

" Try that again and I'll slap you until your ears ring."

"You're a brute and a fool. Do you think i did it on purpose?"

"Yes I do." Eva looked at him in shock. How could he think such a thing of her?

"Christ Jamie I went for a ride."

"I ordered you to stay in the castle and not leave without me." He said simply.

"I don't have to do what you tell me to."

"Aye you do. You are my wife"

"Oh your wife? Your wife?" She spat. "Oh you think i'm your property don't you? You think i belong to you, and you can't stand for someone else to have something that belongs to you."

"You do belong to me and you are my wife whether you like it or not"

Eva lost all semblance of control and snapped. "Well i don't like it. But that doesn't matter to you does it. As long as I'm there to warm your bed, you don't care what i think or how i fell. That's all a wife is to you. Something to stick your cock into whenever you feel the urge. Let go of me you fucking bastard!"

Jamie tightened his grip on her once more before raising a hand and striking her across the face. "You foulmouthed bitch. You'll no speak to me that way!"

"I'll speak to you however I please. You can't control me!" the two were breathing heavily, their cheeks red with their yelling.

"Jamie, lad." Eva and Jamie both looked over and saw Dougal and a small band of men waiting, with Fiona in the background, tears in her eyes.

"Just leave me alone," Eva whimpered and pushed past her husband.


	18. Chapter 18

Hello my lovlies! I know it has been an insanely long time since I updated but here it is - the next chapter! I have no intention of discontinuing this story at all! I love Outlander too much! To be honest the response I have gotten for this story is so much more than anything I expected! I'm so glad that you are enjoying it as much as I am! A few comments regarding reviews/comments left:

\- Guest: There was no username or anything so I cannot directly respond to you. I cannot speak for the British educational system since I am from the U.S. but in my experience in the public education system, yes there was some acknowledgement of the terrible things the U.S. has done throughout history, but a lot of it is NOT taught in schools. There are many things I learned in college that completely contradicted what I had learned in high school.

\- Totter 4: No Claire yet, but she will be here soon!

\- Orri: Yes true, I have not written in the use of a chamberpot, but I don't really want to write about my character's bowel movements :)

Finally, **thank you from the bottom of my heart to all who reviewed, favorited, and followed!**

Chapter 18: Actions Speak Louder Than Words

The ride back to castle leach was quiet and awkward. Eva sat behind Jamie on his horse, stiff and avoiding holding on to him with all her might. While she drew some comfort from his presence the fact that he had hit her sat uneasily in her stomach.

As the group rode into the inner bailey of the castle many of the inhabitants came out to see their arrival. Mrs. Fitz held her hands to her mouth as she took in Eva's disruffled appearance.

"My goodness! Whatever happened to ye lass?!" The plump woman yelled in shock, her eyes raking over Eva's torn gown and rumpled hair. Eva shook her head silently, hoping that the commotion would soon be focused elsewhere.

Jamie swung his legs over his horse catching Mrs. Fitz's attention. "Those red coat bastards attacked her." Mrs. Fitz gasped once more, covering her mouth in horror.

"Did they," She swallowed harshly. "They dinna…?" She trailed off, unable to finish her question.

"Nay, the dinna." Jamie said and Mrs. Fitz let out a breath of relief that also reached her eyes. "Now I wish to take my bride up to our chambers if there are no other questions." He did not wait for a response but held a hand out to help Eva down from her mount. She hesitated for a moment before delicately placing her hand in his outstretched one. He gently helped her down and wrapped a lose arm around her shoulders, guiding her into the castle. Wanting to keep up pretenses Eva waited until they were out of sight of the other inhabitants before she shook his arm off her.

"Please don't touch me," She spoke in a soft whisper and Jamie's eyes darkened in sadness.

"Ach, _sasenach_ , I'm sorry. I only struck ye out of anger and frustration. Twill not happen again." His voice was soft with regret and sympathy and as he reached out a hand to brush Eva's cheek she recoiled slightly.

"How can you promise me that? I know many men who have promised such things to their lovers and wives, and yet, almost each one of them did it again."

Jamie looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "I have naught to give ye but my word that I willna strike ye again. I'm sorry, lass."

"Just remember, Jamie, that actions speak louder than words." She said and walked away, leaving Jamie alone in the hall to his thoughts.

Eva's embarrassment at her run-in with the red coats was well as being struck by Jamie kept her hiding in her chambers throughout the day. She had occasionally caught a glance of her reflection in a looking glass and saw that while the swelling had significantly diminished on her cheek, it was still an angry red color. It was times like this that Eva wished foundation and concealer had been invented earlier so that she could hide the marks.

Some time after the sun had set the chamber door opened and Jamie entered holding a plate full of delicious smelling food.

"I dinna see ye down in the hall," He explained as she looked at him strangely. "I thought ye might like something to eat." Eva nodded her thanks and sat at the table where he had placed the plate. She ate a few pieces of fruit and nibbled on the bread before looking at Jamie.

"Would you like some?" He smiled and nodded, sitting across from her and sharing her meal. TOgether the two talked, albeit somewhat awkward and with some hesitation.

Once the meal had been finished, Jamie picked up the plate and placed it in the hall for a servant to come and collect it at a later time.

Yawning, Eva walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers, preparing to get in them and sleep in her own bed. As Jamie entered the room he looked briefly at her as she laid in the bed before he began to remove his vest.

"What are you doing?" Eva asked as she saw him undressing.

Jamie paused with his fingers hovering over the buttons and looked at her strangely. "I thought-" He trailed off.

"Well you thought wrong." She said shortly. Although they had managed to get through a meal together, Eva was not ready to share her bed with him. Angrily muttering something in Gaelic under his breath, Jamie grabbed his vest tightly and stormed out of the room, leaving Eva to sleep alone.

The next morning Eva noticed that her cheek was significantly less red than the previous night. It now looked more pink, like a dark blush was marking only one of her cheeks. Determining that she could not simply spend another day hiding away in her chambers Eva reluctantly got out of bed and dressed herself as well as she could without someone present to help her tie her strings together in the front of her shift. The shift rubbed uncomfortably against her breasts and stomach, making Eva move it around until she found a comfortable position for the whale-boned corset to rest.

Once her hair had been brushed and pulled away from her face with a leather thong Eva set down to the hall to break her fast. As she approached the hall she could hear the few occupants that were present laughing and chattering amongst themselves. Deciding that she did not yet want to face them, she turned and headed down to the kitchens instead to nab some bread and ale to quench her hunger.

After some begging and sympathetic eyes, Mrs. Fitz agreed to give Eva a small loaf of bread and a mug of ale to dip it in for breakfast before shooting her away to a corner where she would not be in the way of the kitchen maids.

"Mrs. Fitz!" A familiar voice echoed through the stone walls. "Please tell me ye still have some of those oat cakes ye made earlier?" Jamie came down the stairs looking haggard and rubbing his eyes to wake himself up. "Oh," He said softly as he laid eyes on his disgruntled wife. "I thought to come here so as not to disturb ye in the great hall." He explained.

"I thought the same thing," Eva chuckled. It seemed that even when they tried to avoid each other the fates brought them together again. "Where were you last night?" She asked quietly so as not to alert the others in the kitchen to their marital distresses once he sat down with his own breakfast.

"The stables," He said, dipping a cake into some honey before shoving it into his mouth. "I used to sleep there all the time; figured I'd go back to my roots," He chuckled lightly.

"I'm sorry," He looked at her in confusion. "I thought you would sleep in Murtagh or Rupert's rooms, not outside in the cold." She explained.

"Ach, na gabh dragh," He said waving his hand at her. The two continued to eat in silence until Eva cleared her throat.

"Well I best be going. Some of the supplies in the surgery are low and I best replenish them before they are needed." Jamie nodded, licking the honey off his fingers. Eva walked away, wondering where the two of them now stood in their relationship.

That night Eva was in their chamber, brushing a particularly nasty knot causing tears to well up in her eyes. Jamie entered the room, removing his neck tie and looked at her.

"Mo fiadhiach duine what is it?" He asked when he noticed her tears and rushed towards her to place his hand on her cheek. Involuntarily Eva jumped back with a slight gasp.

"What must I do to show you how sorry I am? How can I earn back yer trust and love?" Jamie begged.

"I told you before, actions speak louder than words." Jamie seemed to ponder this for a moment.

With a determined glint in his eye Jamie grasped the dirk he kept on his belt and pulled it from its sheath with a slight ring, kneeling down and looking at her. Holding it in front of him he took a deep breath.

I swear on the cross of my Lord Jesus, and by the Holy iron of which I hold, that I give you my fealty and pledge you my loyalty." Breathing hard he turned the dirk so that the tip was pointed in towards his chest. "If ever my hand is raised in rebellion against you again, then I ask that this holy iron may pierce my heart." He finished his vow by leaning down and placing a gentle kiss on the handle.

Eva looked at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice and eyes and was silent.

"Is that not enough?" He asked, his eyes swimming with defeat.

Eva was unable to respond verbally. Reaching out, she placed a shaking hand on his chest where she could feel his heartbeat echoing. He grasp her hand tightly and smiled at her.

"The key," He said softly. "The key to Lallybroch."

"What?" She asked.

"Yer ring," He leaned down and kissed the cool metal. "I had the blacksmith fashion yer ring from my key. The key to my home." He explained.

Warmth and love spread through Eva's chest. "Why didn't you tell me that before? Why not when you gave it to me?"

"I wanted to wait until I took ye back to Lallybroch, so ye'd know the place was as much yers as mine. I dinna ken when we will get back there, but I hope to share it with ye one day."

"We will, i promise you."

"Donna make promises ye canna keep, lass." He said softly, stroking her cheek.

The two leaned in, their lips meeting for the first time in days. Eva almost moned at the feeling of his rough lips against hers. Soon their kiss turned from innocent and soft to heavy and sloppy. Before Eva knew what was happening her shift was pulled down from her shoulders and Jamie was quickly unbuckling his pants and his lips trailed down her neck and to her breasts where he sucked one into his mouth, nibbling gently. Eva gasped, throwing her head back in satisfaction.

Jamie made his way back up to her mouth and grasped at her shoulders, pulling her close to. Leaning back he brought them to the floor where Eva hovered over him, sighing and moaning and she placed herself onto him.

This time their coupling was not of love and devotion to one another with slow kisses and purposeful thrusts. It was quick and angry, a final release to the pent up feelings the two were holding from one another. Their moans combined as Jamie flipped them over so he was on top and began thrusting his hips even harder into hers.

"Your mine, mo fiadhiach duine. Mine, now and forever," Jamie panted out as he continued thrusting. "And I mean to make you call me master," He said with a sinful grin and his pace increased into sloppy and jerky movements signifying he was finishing within her.

The two lay together, slowing their breathing and touching each other wherever they could.

"I am your master and your mine." Jamie said smiling. INstead of responding, Eva leaned over and placed a loving kiss against his lips.

The two lovers were lying together, arms wrapped around each other when Jamie placed a kiss on Eva's hair. " _Sassenach_ , what does _fucking_ mean?"

Eva looked up at him with confusion in her eyes. "What?"

"Fucking." He said simply. "Well, after the red coats you called me 'A fucking bastard'. Now I know what a bastard is."

"Well," Eva giggled a little at the innocence of his question. "It means what we just did." Grinning, Jamie leaned down and kissed her once again. Kissing back Eva felt herself get ready for his body to be back on top of her own. Reaching her hand down his waistline an below the blanket covering the two of him Eva grasped onto Jamie tightly, causing him to hiss slightly and pull back.

"Oh was I too rough on you?" Eva grinned.

"Well if you bed a vixen, you have to expect to get bit." He kissed her again. "COme here and bite me some more." He grinned placing his body on top hers.

 **A/N: some of you may notice that I left out the part where as they are having make-up sex, Claire holds Jamie's dagger to his neck and threatens him. This was purposefully done as I cannot see Eva doing this. Please review!**


	19. Chapter 19

**AN: As I stated yesterday, this story is not abandoned and I will be updating more regularly moving forward! Thank goodness! The chapter is a little short but I wanted to get it out to you lovely people. Thank you for those of you who have stuck with the story, and to those of you who are new. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I do.**

 **If anyone is interested in beta-ing this story please PM me. A second set of eyes never hurts, plus it would help keep me accountable. Please let me know what you think in a review!**

Chapter 19: Wild Garlic

After their reunion, Eva and Jamie seemed closer than ever. The two settled back into a fairly predictable schedule; Eva would spend her morning looking through old journals of Davie Beaton's, studying their contents and continuing to try and improve her healing abilities. Prior to Davie's death he had only taught her very limited practical knowledge - she had only treated one serious wound under his supervision before he fell ill and died. If she were to step up as Castle Leoch's healer she would need to learn much more about healing.

Her afternoon's were frequently spent huddled over the mortar and pestles, grinding plants together to create mixtures to be used in teas and on wounds. She stocked shelves, reorganized the bottles and vials that were out of place, and threw out the ones labeled with things she knew would not be helpful in healing, such as bed bugs, lice, and powdered bone.

While Eva was busy in the surgery, Jamie was frequently out and about performing various tasks throughout the castle, most frequently being in the stables. The two had been working so hard each day that they typically fell into bed with little energy, though they always managed to find each other in the night.

One such morning as she was preparing for the day, she realized that she had not thought of her Uncle or life back in the twenty-first century in several weeks. With a pang of guilt and tears in her eyes, she adjusted the uncomfortable corset, trying to rearrange it so it did not press so tightly against her breasts. She wished she could not wear the damned thing at all, but to do so would not be worth the thrashing her ears would take from Mrs. Fitz on propriety, nor the leering looks from the like of Angus.

The door opened softly behind her and as she glanced in the mirror, Eva saw Jamie with a smile on his face in greeting. Blinking her eyes to rid the evidence of her discomfort and unhappiness, Eva smiled back and asked if he could tie her laces. He nodded and strode over, grasping them and tying them loosely. While Jamie never tied the corset as tightly as Mrs. Fitz or the serving girls, the added constraint on Eva's chest made her gasp in discomfort that was not quite pain, but closely echoed it.

"What will you do today?" Jamie asked once he finished. She turned and placed her hands on her husbands shoulder, smiling up at him.

"There are several items that are low in stock in the surgery. I am going to take one of Davies journals and see if I can find some of the plants outside the castle or in the gardens." She explained and he nodded."What about you?"

"Working in the stables again. The horse, Gavin, slipped a shoe yesterday and will need repairing before he can be ridden." Eva nodded. The two walked down to breakfast together, taking their seats near Murtagh, Angus, and Rupert as had become their tradition. After a quick meal the two separate heading for the designated areas of work.

After grabbing a large basket and two of the journals which identified where Davie Beaton had previously found the plants needed, Eva sought out in search of them. Along with the journals was a book on native plants, with descriptions and drawings of the flowers which would prove to be invaluable to Eva for she was by no means an expert at botany.

The day was cool as fall was quickly settling into the highlands. As a breeze swept through the air Eva was glad she had grabbed a knit cardigan prior to leaving. Wrapping the shawl more tightly around her she set off towards the gardens to see what she could find.

Sitting on a patch of grass Eva opened the botany book and began looking at the pedals of nearby plants, attempting to identify them properly.

Seeing a patch of wild garlic, a plant she needed that was used as a way to fight infections similar to antibiotics, she smiled. As she grasped the shears lightly in her hands and prepared to cut off several stalks so that she could later harvest the leaves a voice called out to her.

"Those are poisonous you know." Eva yelped in surprise, dropping the shears and nearly cutting herself. Turning around Eva saw a young woman with brilliant red hair under a cape giggling slightly at her surprise. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh." The woman's voice was light and clear.

"I imagine it was funny." Eva said curtly.

"Who is it you're trying to do away with then? You're husband perhaps? Tell me if it works, and I'll try it on mine." The woman smirked.

"No," Eva shook her head. "I thought this was garlic?" Eva looked back in the book to double check she was indeed looking at the correct entry and saw that she was.

"Tis death camas," The woman explained. "The two look similar enough, but smell the plant." Eva looked up at her with an eyebrow raised. "Go on," The woman encouraged her. Eva did as was asked and lifted the plant to her nose, inhaling lightly.

"I don't smell anything," She said in confusion.

"Aye," The woman nodded. "If twas truly wild garlic, yed smell it on the leaves." Eva nodded, making a mental note to smell certain plants to tell if they were what she was looking for or not.

"Thank you," The two women stared at each other in awkward silence until the copper haired beauty spoke once more.

"My name is Geillis. Geillis Duncan." Eva's eyes widened slightly.  
"I'm sorry how rude of me. I should have introduced myself! My name is-"  
"I know who ye are, Eva," Geillis interrupted. "The village has been speaking much of ye and yer arrival."

"What have they been saying about me?" Eva asked, although she was not sure if she truly wanted to know.

"That you're likely a sassenach spy." Eva shook her head at that slightly. "Or that ye'ved placed the MacKenzies under a spell which is why yer still at the castle." Eva almost laughed at that.

"Ye know," Geillis said after a moment of silence. "Those will start bleeding to get rid of a child you don't want." She nodded over at a group of pretty looking flowers. "Brings on your flux. But only if you use it early. Too late, and it can kill you as well as the child. The girls in the village come to me every now and again for such things. They say I'm a witch." Geillis said the last part as if she were saying that she had been married for several years, or disliked eating fish, it was so casual.

"Are you?"

"Hardly." Geillis chuckled. "But you should come visit me sometimes down in the village. I have a cabinet full of potions and medicinals I wager would tickle yer fancy."

"That would be wonderful," Eva replied. Since Davie Beaton was no longer around to assist Eva in her training, perhaps Geillis could help her. "I'm afraid while I am training to be a healer, my mentor passed before he could teach me much."

"Yes I heard about that. Verra sad, for he was so young." Eva nodded her agreement.

"Yes, very sad indeed."  
"I hope to see ye in the hall tonight," Geillis said suddenly in a much brighter tone. "Old Colum MacKenzie has a Minstrel staying at the castle for a fortnight; one of the better one's in the highlands." Eva nodded her agreement as Geillis bade her farewell and left Eva to her own thoughts. Although Eva could not put her finger on it, something seemed off with Geillis.

That night Eva and Jamie joined what seemed like all the inhabitants of Castle Leoch and several from the nearby village at the dining hall to see the minstrel play. Eva saw Geillis sitting on a bench midway from the dais where the minstrel would sit and she walked over with Jamie.

"You look lovely tonight, Eva." Geillis said looking at the olive colored dressed she wore. "Why one could even say you are glowing." Eva blushed in embarrassment.

"Um, allow me to introduce my husband to you," Eva said turning to Jamie. "Jamie this is Geillis Duncan from the village. Geillis this is my husband James-"

"McTavish," Jamie said interrupting her with a dashing smile. Eva's brows wrinkled slightly in confusion but did not say anything aloud. Clearly there was a reason for giving Geillis a false name.

"Charmed," The woman said cooly before turning towards the stage where the minstrel was beginning to play on his lyre and croon in a sweet tenor. Jamie and Eva also quieted, giving their attention to the man on stage.

"How often does he come to the castle?" Eva asked Jamie inbetween songs.

"About once a year or so," Jamie replied taking a sip of his wine. "He travels to nearly all the clans throughout the highlands to make a living wage. Once he visits all of them, he starts over again." He explained. Eva nodded in understanding.

"He has a beautiful voice," She commented. Although the man sang in Gaelic and Eva could not understand the words, she liked to think she at least knew the premise of the song based on the tones and music that accompanied the lyrics.

"Aye, it's bonny indeed." Jamie grinned down at her.

The two stayed for quite some time as the minstrel continued his performance until Eva could no longer keep her yawns at bay. The two pardoned themselves, wishing Geillis a good night and traveled up to their chambers.

"Tired today, Sassenach?" Jamie said smiling down at her.

"Yes," She smiled softly. "I guess trudging through the gardens was more tiring than I originally thought." Eva smiled, leaning up and placing a gentle kiss upon Jamie's lips.

"Turn around, lass." She did as he said and Jamie began to fiddle with the strings that held her dress together.

"Why did you lie to Geillis today?" She asked as he pulled one of the strings loose. "You told her your name was McTavish,"

"Ye know I have a bounty on my head, aye?" She nodded. "I trust most of the residents of Castle Leoch to keep my secret, but for some the bounty is too tempting a treat. I canna risk a slip of the tongue and the red coats knowing where I am. Tis mostly why I stay working in the stables." He explained. Eva nodded and waited for the rest of the dress to be untied so she could step out of it.

Once the ties were loosened and the corset removed, Eva let out a sigh of relief as Jamie began to place wet kisses on her neck, his hands traveling down to her breasts and groping them lightly.

"Jamie," Eva said pushing him away from her. "I need to speak to you about something." Her husband paused in his attempts to seduce her and furrowed his brows.

"What is it mo fiadniach duine?"

"I'm not really sure how to tell you this," Eva stumbled on her words, wringing her hands together. Once this secret was spoken, there was no going back for the two of them. Their lives would be forever changed.

"Just say it," Jamie sat her on the bed, holding her sweating hands in his. "Nothing you say will change how I feel about ye."

Eva paused, took a deep breath, and looked into his eyes. "I'm pregnant."

The only sound in the room was the crackling of the fireplace and Eva's heartbeat in her ears. Time seemed to have frozen as Jamie did not blink; it looked as if he had even stopped breathing.

"Jamie?" She asked after several moments of silence.

"Are ye sure?" He asked, his voice betraying nothing of how he was feeling.

Eva nodded. "Yes. I have not bled in two months. I would not tell you if I was not sure." Eva had not even realized she had missed her period until she began to notice how tender her breasts had been, how exhausted she always was, and a nauseous feeling that seemed to plague her no matter what, though she had not yet gotten ill.

"Gast' air fad," Jamie said softly.

"Are you happy?" Eva asked hesitantly. His face still betrayed nothing, and despite being married for several months Eva had still barely picked up any Gaelic.

Jamie raised his eyes to hers and a large smile broke out on his face. His eyes were shining and his grin so wide it seemed it would fall off his face. "Yes!" He stood quickly, grabbing her around the waist and spinning her in a circle.

Eva squealed in surprise and delight at his reaction. "Oh I am so verra happy, sassenach." Jamie grinned. "A bairn so soon in our marriage? Tis a blessing to be sure." He leaned down and kissed her deeply. "Tis the best gift in the world, sassenach. Ort gaol agam."

"I love you too," Jamie placed another searing kiss on her lips and the two tumbled backwards onto the bed where they celebrated the best way they knew how.


	20. Chapter 20

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Chapter 20: The Stones

That night as the two of them lay in bed, entwined together, their naked bodies sticking together in a pleasant way, Jamie placed his hand over her still flat belly and Eva stroked his hair gently. He sat up and leaned down, kissing her belly and gently and whispering in gaelic.

"Do ye think he can hear me?" He asked in an excited voice, smiling widely.

"He?" She laughed at his eagerness.

"Aye," He grinned up at her. "Tis a lad, I can feel it." He kissed her belly once more before moving up and kissing her lips gently. "A strong son to carry on the Fraser name."

"Well," Eva paused. "A boy it might be but I suppose there is no way to know until the birth."

Jamie nodded. "Right. Well can he hear us? Does he know I'm here?"

"No," She smiled softly. "The baby is still too small. The baby won't grow ears for several months. Around month five I believe." She explained remembering one of her first nursing lectures from school on prenatal care.

"Five months? How do ye know?" Jamie asked.

"Oh," Eva thought of how she could spin her knowledge of twenty-first century medicine. There was no way for her to know such things if she was truly an eighteenth century woman. "Um, my mother." Eva said slowly. "My mother knew a lot about babies and that is what she always told me growing up. I guess it just stuck." It was only partly a lie.

Her mother had loved babies. Eva remembered when her cousin, Amy had given birth to her first daughter; Eva's mother had been over the house nearly everyday for the first several months. When she was there the baby had hardly left her arms, not even to sleep for Eva's mother held on tight to the little one while Amy caught up on much needed sleep. Eva's mother had often spoken of the day when she would become a grandmother herself. At that thought, a few tears came into the corner of her eyes.

"What is it, sassenach?" Jamie asked, his voice laced with concern. "Why do you cry?" Eva sniffed and shook her head.

"It's nothing." She brushed it off while wiping tears away.

"Nae, it's not nothing. Nothing dossna make ye cry." He pushed and Eva sighed gently.

"I was thinking of my mother. She always talked about how much she wanted grandchildren and how she couldn't wait for the day when I would have children." She sniffled once more. "But she isn't here to see it. She'll never meet her grandchildren." The tears began to fall a little more, running down her cheek and wetting the pillow beneath her head.

Jamie brushed the tears away with his calloused thumb and kissed her gently. "Ah, mo fiadniach duine. I'm so verra sorry." He sighed. "But yer mother is still here, with ye," He placed his hand over her heart. "Those who love us never truly leave us. She instilled in you her values in ye and I can see she gave ye a tiny part of her soul when she passed. She'd be proud of you."

Jamie's sweet words made the tears flow faster down her cheeks and his eyes widened. "What did I do? I'm sorry sassenach!"

"Nothing," She cried. "That was so sweet of you!"

"So why are ye crying?" He asked in confusion sitting up.

"It's these goddamn hormones!" She cried.

"Hormones?"

"Shit!" She cried. In her swirling mind Eva had once again forgotten where she was and how little was known about pregnancy and the human body. Jamie flinched at her cursing and Eva sighed. "I'm sorry. It seems the pregnancy has me out of sorts. I'll be okay though, I promise. You helped."

"Are you certain?" She nodded and kissed him gently.

"Yes, thank you my love." He smiled gently, wiping her eyes once more and kissed her again.

Eva deepened the kiss, running her tongue along his lip until he opened his mouth where their tongues danced together. She lifted her shift up to her hips and swung a leg over his hip, straddling him. As she began to grind her hips into his he let out a loud groan and gripped her hips tightly.

"Ah, what ye do to me, sassenach." He moaned and she pulled his shirt up past his hips and over his shoulders, revealing his heavy length that was twitching against his leg. She gripped his length gently in her hands and coaxing it to harden even more. Jamie let out a soft groan and pulled her shift from her body over her head. He flipped her onto her back so he was hovering over her, her legs going around his waist where his cock met her wet folds and the two groaned at the first contact.

As Eva reached up and pulled his face to her own, she prepared to have him enter her.

"Wait!" Jamie froze just as he was about to enter her. "What about the bairn?" Suddenly his eyes widened in fright as he thought of possibly hurting the baby within her.

"My love," She giggled lightly. "You will not hurt the baby, I promise. And if you stop right now I will kill you." She threatened.

"Are ye sure?"

"Yes, now fuck me!" She pulled his face down to hers and kissed him once more fiercely as he plunged his hips forward and entered her in a sweep of his hips. The two groaned as their bodies met in a familiar rhythm.

Jamie's hips pumped in and out as Eva's legs tightened their grip around his waist, holding him tight to her core. Jamie moved her legs higher, placing her ankles upon his shoulders where he continued to pump into her relentlessly. The new position allowed him to reach a deeper part of her than before and Eva screamed out in bliss.

It was not before long that Eva's screams grew louder. As her pupils dilated she let out one final scream, much louder than she typically was. Moments later, Jamie let out a low groan and stilled, collapsing on top of her once he had finished.

Still breathing heavily, Eva kissed the sweat from his brow, as the two gathered each other up in their arms and fell into sleep, ready to take on whatever the next few months would throw at them.

As the days went by Eva and Jamie reveled in their secret. They decided not to tell anyone for fear of the baby being lost and decided to wait until the dangerous time had passed to announce it to the castle. The pregnancy often left Eva exhausted and dead of her feet. Jamie frequently had to fetch her from the surgery for supper as she typically fell asleep in one of the chairs if she did not have any patients present. After supper they usually stayed in the hall as the minstrel would only be at Castle Leoch for a few more days before moving on and visiting a different clan. Although Eva was usually so tired after dinner she could barely keep her eyes open, she enjoyed the beautiful music and it served to relax her often frazzled brain.

The last night the minstrel would be there Eva and Jamie sat near the back. While Eva had not experienced any morning sickness she often felt nauseous and was unwilling to risk vomiting in the front of the hall, so they stayed in the back so she could make a quick escape if needed. Jamie sat next to her, a goblet of wine in one hand and Eva's palm in the other. His corse thumb circled soothingly across her hand and Eva smiled up at him.

"What is it?" Jamie asked looking at her boy smile with an arched eyebrow.

"Nothing," She smiled. "I'm just happy; very happy." Jamie grinned and swooped down placing a chaste, but loud kiss on her lips and she laughed out loud at his antics, licking the sweet taste of wine from her lips.

"Mind if I join ye?" A timid voice interrupted them and Eva looked over Jamie's shoulder to see Laoghaire standing there, wringing her hands together nervously. Jamie shook his head and gestured for her to take a seat should she wish to. Though Eva had been in the castle several months and had seen the young girl in the castle, the two had never been formally introduced.

"Hello," Eva smiled around her husbands shoulder and held a hand out to Laoghaire. "I don't think we've been properly introduced; I'm Eva."

"Laoghaire," The girls brogue was deep and rough and the two shook hands. Silence permeated the air between the three of them and Eva shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"So Mrs. Fitz is your grandmother, correct?" Laoghaire nodded. "That must be wonderful; she is such a lovely person." Eva gushed.

"Aye," Laoghaire nodded. "She's a wonderful granny; she cared for me when my parents passed." Eva did not want to pry and ask what had happened to her parents but curiosity was licking at her. "The two died from lung disease," Laoghaire explained. "Died in about two weeks I reckon."  
"I'm sorry for your loss," Eva smiled comfortingly to the young woman. She didn't know what lung disease was, but if she had to guess it was either pneumonia or tuberculosis, both horrible, slow, and painful ways to die. Eva felt a pang of sympathy go through her heart. Eva had also lost her parents but it had been quick. Laoghaire had to watch her parents suffer and had likely held hope that they would recover. That was a pain Eva would not wish on her worst enemy, to see their loved ones suffering.

"Are ye staying busy at the stables then, Jamie?" Laoghaire changed the subject and looked up him with her big doe eyes.

"Aye, we are. Horses need breaking, stalls need mucking, and saddles need mending. Tis always something to be done." He nodded. Silence once more fell on the three of them.

"I remember ye, you know?" Laoghaire said suddenly. "When ye were here as a lad."

"Aye?" Jamie barely gave her a look as the mistral took up his seat at the front of the hall. "You canna have been much more than seven or eight. I was only sixteen myself."

"Yes, I was."

"I doubt I was much to be seen back then," He grinned over to Eva. "Much less be remembered."

"Aye, but I do remember you. Do you not remember me from then?" She asked in a hopeful tone.

"No," Jamie said simply. "No I don't think so." Eva kicked his shin lightly at his lack of decorum and chuckled under her breath and him.

The minstrel began to play upon his lyre, his light voice flowing out through the hall and over Eva as the three fell silent. She relaxed as the soothing sounds echoed through the stone walls. As the song continued Jamie grasped her hand, bringing it up and placing a soft kiss there. He leaned down and whispered in her ear softly to translate the words. "Tis about a man out late on a fairly hill on the eve of Samhain who hears the sound of a woman singing sad and plaintive from the very rocks of the hill.

"'I am a woman of Balhain. The folk have stolen me over again, the stones seem to stay. I stood upon the hill and wind did rise, and the sound of thunder rolled across the land. I placed my hands upon the tallest stone and traveled to a far, distant land," Eva gasped, a deep pit in her stomach. "I lived for a time among strangers who became lovers and friends. But one day, I saw the moon come out and the wind rose once more so I touched the stones and traveled back to my own land and took up again with the man i had left behind." He explained softly so as not to both the others who were viewing the performance.

"She came back through the stones?" Eva asked almost breathlessly.

"Aye she did. They always do." Jamie nodded. Suddenly, the pit in Eva's stomached dropped even further. It was possible for her to back to her own time, then.

Eva felt torn; for so many months she had wanted nothing more than to return to her own time. She wanted to feel her Uncles arms around her, see her friends, continue her studies in college, and even continue working at the pub. But as Eva had stayed in the Eighteenth century she had fallen in love, gotten married, and was carrying her husband's child. To Eva, there really was no choice; she could not leave Jamie here, not any longer.

But if the story was to be believed, the women who traveled through the stones always returned to their own time. That was what Jamie had said. And Eva, not one for prayer, sent up a plea to any God that was listening, that she would not be forced to leave her husband or child behind should she have to go back through the stones.

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